


02A: Life Goes On

by Walkerofdarkness



Series: My take on Infinite Stratos [2]
Category: IS: Infinite Stratos
Genre: Action, Altenate Universe, Drama, F/F, F/M, Multi, Romance, Science Fiction, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-07 16:58:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 56,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5464094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Walkerofdarkness/pseuds/Walkerofdarkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to my story "Through the looking glass". Time waits for no one, least of all the folks at the IS Academy. A new year rolls around, and things have to happen because of it. What new changes will this year bring? AU, some OOCness. Now with lemons!  Migrated from Fanfic.net!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Let's face it. No kid in high school feels as though they fit in.   
Stephen King

The air was thick with excitement as incoming students walked onto the grounds of the IS Academy. Buildings gleamed with fresh paint, the windows had an unmatched shine as they reflected golden hues from the morning sun. The new attendees, all of them girls, stared around with awe widened eyes. Heads swivelled continuously, tracking from the long spire marking the arena to the squat dormitories and athletic fields. Voices squealed in delight as new wonders presented themselves to all the teenagers, creating shrieks that would pierce the local quiet.

One girl stood apart from her classmates, attention focused ahead on the path in front of her. The IS Academy grounds held no interest to her, but it was what she had agreed to do. Kirika Nakano jerked to a halt as she avoided two giggling classmates rushing by. One girl still managed to clumsily bump into Kirika, who reached up and smoothly caught the girl by her shoulders. The quick action saved both of them from falling in a heap.

"Oh! Sorry about that, I didn't see you there," she apologized. The thick European accent made the words almost unrecognizable. "It wouldn't do for you to get dirt on your uniform."

Kirika smiled lightly at the thought. "Especially not on the first day. But it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten in trouble." The smile widened, touching pale hazel eyes. "And I'm sure it won't be the last."

"Well, okay then!" Waving once, the brunette disappeared off into the crowd. Kirika took a moment to smooth out non-existent wrinkles in her white uniform, then ran one hand through her short red hair. Two long bangs flopped back to frame her face, eliciting a small grimace. Kirika started to grab for the bangs again only to be stopped by a voice.

"I would suggest you let ze hair remain. It suits you, n'est-ce pas?"

Kirika opened her eyes to find a girl looking at her. Blond hair cascaded down behind the newcomer's narrow shoulders, a few bangs drifting across her forehead. Inquisitive purple eyes radiated warmth as a single slender arm raised a delicate hand. "My name is Charlotte Dunois, from France."

Shaking hands lightly, Kirika tried not to notice how soft Charlotte's hand felt against her own. "Kirika Nakano, from Japan. And as for my hair, I should leave it hanging down more, but I usually don't have to worry about it. I usually am doing something fast, keeps the hair behind me."

Charlotte broke into a quiet laugh, settling down into an infectious grin that prompted Kirika to do the same. Taking a moment as she laughed, Kirika quickly appraised Charlotte. Slenderly built, Charlotte's uniform skirt seemed shorter, her long legs wrapped in socks that came up over her knees. It provided a solid contrast to Kirika's own proportioned form and nearly shorter than average height.

"Your ribbon, you're a first year student," Kirika asked, tapping her own cyan ribbon around her throat.

"Oui, I am in class one," Charlotte confirmed with a nod.

Bobbing her head to the information, Kirika's grin grew into a smile. "Me too. Guess that makes us classmates."

Charlotte's eyes widened slightly as her smile settled into place. "Mais oui. I do not know where ze class iz, but at least we can be lost together."

"Just as long as we're in class when it starts," Kirika added with a shudder. "I can't imagine what punishment they would use for tardy students."

Walking side by side, the two teens headed through crowded hallways packed with girls of varying sizes and colors. Hairstyles of every description and done with every color in the rainbow danced through the halls, the owners rushing to find their classes. Friends, old and new, greeted each other with squeals and shouts.

_Hopefully this will be better than my last school experience._ Kirika thought, her mind drifting into her past. It wasn't until the sharp twinge that brought her to realize Charlotte was poking her in the ribs. "Sorry, I was thinking about some things. Did you say something?"

"I was wondering what your specialty at ze Academy iz," Charlotte stated simply. Her eyes had some concern, but the voice was carefully open.

"Well, officially I'm here to get trained as part of the Maintenance Branch, working on maintaining and developing IS's. But I did pass the pilot quals, so I'm also a Representative Candidate contender," Kirika paused, a grimace crossing her face. Her voice dropped down into a quiet place. "Even though I doubt I would ever be _allowed_ to be a Rep with my history."

Hearing the last sentence, Charlotte opened her mouth to ask for more details. Seeing the look upon her classmate's face, she instead chose to forego further questions. "Ah, here we are!"

The doorway to their class was open, half the students were already inside. There was one girl sitting on the far side, seemingly sulking as she stared out the windows. She had long black hair that was tied up into a split ponytail by a green ribbon. Another girl, golden blond hair running in waves down her back, was standing with a group of others. Her hands bobbed and wove around her waist describing some sort of aerial maneuver, and showing off the calf length skirt she was wearing.

Kirika's eyes scanned the room, then chuckled softly. "Well, I guess this is like normal high school after all," she stated wryly. "Guess that one isn't a morning person."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked, confusion on her face. Kirika pointed out one girl wearing a jacket with overlong sleeves, her head resting on folded arms. Even from the distance, Charlotte could see the girl was asleep. "Well, we should let ze teachers decide if zhat iz a problem, non?"

The bells started to ring and the students all started to take to the desks. Kirika and Charlotte separated, finding open seats without much trouble. A green haired woman walked in the classroom, holding a pile of folders in her arms. The teacher was wearing a pink top with yellow sweater that seemed to emphasize her chest.

Adjusting her half glasses mechanically, the teacher looked up at her new students. "Good morning class, I am Maya Yamada. I will be your assistant homeroom teacher for this year so let's try to be friends and have fun," she squealed in a breathy, squeaky voice. The voice kept it's high pitch as she continued on. "Our teacher will be here in a few minutes, so let's start with class introductions."

Kirika kept her groan to herself as the first girl stood up and proceeded to do their introduce themself to the rest of the class.

—*—

"Hello, I'm Kirika Nakano. I'm here as part of the Maintenance Branch. I like cars, boats, pretty much anything that has a motor and can go **fast**." Bowing her head once to her classmates, Kirika smoothed out her skirt as she sat down in her chair.

The introductions had gone well enough, even if it was interrupted by the arrival of their teacher. Kirika had read the stories about Chifuyu Orimura, but she found of them hard to believe. Evening hearing stories from her own mother did not seem real compared to the woman before her now. Kirika found it impossible to place what was wrong the teacher, but she knew there was something off. Dark business suit with matching skirt, white shirt and a black tie. Black hair that went down past her shoulders, brown eyes that managed to meet everyone in the room even staring directly ahead. After a moment's contemplation, Kirika placed it. _Her eyes,_ she realized with a start _. She's just going through motions, but her eyes don't really have the right feeling. They're detached, haunted._

Standing in front of her desk, instructor Orimura casually leaned a hip against a corner. "Now there's only one more introduction to do: mine. My name is Chifuyu Orimura and I am the teacher around here. I do not make suggestions. I give orders. You will study hard in the next three years here. I will make sure of that." Her eyes flickered around the room making contact with every student present. "We will divide our time between the classroom and practical training in the arenas."

Most of the students squealed in the silence following Chifuyu's introduction. Shouts of encouragement, worship and outright begging all clamored for attention. Chifuyu let it carry on for three seconds before slapping a book on the desk producing a crack like a whip's passage. "That's enough! This IS a classroom, and you will all act accordingly."

All the students promptly sat up straight and silently waited for Chifuyu's next words. Eyes blazed brightly with admiration as they waited intently for a new proclamation. Chifuyu's dark eyes scanned the room once, then looked back over her shoulder to Maya. "Yamada-san, did we miss anything?"

Maya picked up a tablet and quickly tapped in commands on it. Her face scrunched up in concentration for just a moment, then her eyes opened wide in shock. "We need to get a class rep selected for the student council."

Nodding curtly once at the info, Chifuyu faced the class again. "Okay, this class will select their representative, and then we will begin our lessons. Whomever is chosen will be our face to the student council, as well as being our contender in the first inter-class tournament next month. So do we have any suggestions?"

One hand shot up, invisible inside the overlong sleeve. "I nominate Charlotte Dunois! She seems like she will get along with everyone, including the council."

Charlotte blushed and started to rise out of her seat, only to stop as a loud thump rang out from a desk. A tallish girl, with long blond hair and deep blue eyes rose up. "NO! I will not stand for that. In terms of skill, I am superior to everyone here. I, Cecilia Alcott, am the only one here who should be the representative for this class."

"Oh shut up already, we're not impressed by that grandstanding." Cecilia's eyes widened in outrage as she turned in place to identify her tormentor. Kirika, for her part, did not realize the words had left her mouth until after the Briton faced her.

"What—what did you just say?" Cecilia demanded in an imperious voice. Her fair complexion had started to flush red from her rage.

Blinking hard, Kirika fought to keep herself in the chair as she responded in a neutral tone, "I said 'we're not impressed by that grandstanding'."

Cecilia stalked over to where Kirika was still seated. Towering over the sitting teenager, Cecilia tipped her head slightly higher to let her gaze track down along her nose. "I guess I can't be surprised that there is someone jealous of my superior skills as a Representative Candidate. Or that I'm in possession of a personal unit." A smug smirk crept across glossy lips. "Especially coming from a lowly grease monkey."

Kirika slowly rose from her seat, her face completely blank. The redhead tried not to focus on the fact that even standing up, her eyes were just barely at the height of Cecilia's shoulders. "The only superior thing about you I can see is your ego. But if you find a way to power an IS with that, then you _would_ be invincible." A lean wolfish grin broke her lips, causing Cecilia to lean away. "But I'm not just a 'grease monkey' like you think. I passed my exams with a pilot's qualification. I'm here as both a pilot candidate and a member of the Maintenance Branch."

Cecilia laughed haughtily, making the friendly gesture sound extremely scornful. "Well, I am the only student in this class to have beaten an instructor during their entrance exams—" Cecilia drifted off only when Kirika started shaking her head.

"I beat the instructor who administered my exam too. Granted, my exam was a bit unorthodox, but I still did win against the instructor." Kirika tried not to smile as Cecilia's outfit turned brown against the bone white face.

"But...but they told me I was the only one—"

The wolfish grin grew wider on Kirika's face. "Hey, maybe it was a fluke. Maybe your instructor didn't know. I mean, it was a bit of a flap, so they might not have told everyone about it. Or maybe they knew about it and decided not to tell you to protect your swollen ego," sarcasm dripped from Kirika's voice as she finished her thought, "from any possible harm."

Cecilia's eyes flared in outrage, her right hand racing up to slap the life out of the shorter teenager. It never made it, as Kirika's left hand caught the offending wrist before it cleared the Briton's chest. Kirika's right hand darted up, pressing a pen hard in the hollow of Cecilia's neck. Cecilia's eyes went to the size of golf balls, the blue irises clearly reflecting her fear. A tight smile locked into place, Kirika growled out quietly, "Careful there, you don't want to start something you can't finish."

A strong hand casually snatched away Kirika's threatening pen as a second one slapped both teens across the back of the head simultaneously. Chifuyu Orimura stood next to both of them, deftly spinning the purloined pen in long fingers. "IF you two are done, we can resume our discussion." Dark eyes flashed once as her voice dipped to a low snarl. "But I will see both of you after class."

Walking back to the front of the class, Chifuyu sat behind her desk next to Maya. "Now then, we have Dunois and Alcott for class rep. Would anyone else like to nominate someone?"

One girl at the back of the class, her bubblegum pink hair in a flared ponytail raised her hand. "I nominate Kirika Nakano as our class rep."

Trying hard not to turn and glare at the girl, Kirika frowned as she groaned mentally. _I wonder how I can convince them all not to elect me as class rep,_ she wondered idly, almost missing the next statement.

"While I am honored to be nominated," Charlotte said, her voice almost cheerful, "I must decline."

Kirika's mind instantly tried to wrap itself around the concept that now it was only her and Cecilia in the election. Chifuyu's hand came up to rub her chin thoughtfully. "Well, that makes things interesting. Guess we can call for a vote right now—"

"Ma'am I must protest!" Cecilia screamed, rising up out of her seat. "This position has to go to someone who can handle themselves in all arenas, including the IS arena."

Chifuyu leveled a glare at Cecilia with the intensity of a laser beam. Cecilia's enthusiasm withered and she started to sit down only to be stopped by a gesture from Chifuyu. Shifting her gaze to Kirika, Chifuyu motioned for her to rise. "Nakano, it seems that Alcott wants an IS fight. Would you be willing to let that decide the outcome of this election?"

Swallowing hard and hoping it wasn't visible, Kirika nodded once. "Yes ma'am, I would be willing to let the election be determined by an IS match."

Chifuyu motioned for both teens to sit as her lips broke into a half grin. "Very well then, I'll make arrangements for us to get arena time to have our little match. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's start our lessons."

—*—

Kirika waved briefly to Charlotte as she walked out of the classroom with the rest of the girls. Cecilia glared daggers at Kirika before coming to stand next to her, eyes locked forward on the two older women seated behind the desk. The teens waited for in silence for almost a minute before Chifuyu looked up from her paperwork, her dark eyes burning with intensity. "I am only going to say this once to you two. What happened in class today does not happen again. Alcott, if you ever interrupt me or Yamada-sensei in class, I will make you run laps around the campus until your legs fall off. Then you will do laps by dragging yourself by your hands around the campus. Am I clear?"

Her fair complexion going pale, Cecilia kept her blues eyes locked forward, while barking out, "Crystal ma'am."

Nodding marginally at the response, Chifuyu tilted her head towards the door. "Dismissed, Alcott." Cecilia turned sharply on one heel, walking briskly from the room before either instructor could decide to inflict such punishments on her. Chifuyu twisted her head slightly, bringing her full gaze crashing down on Kirika. The weight of gaze threatened to intimidate Kirika as she fought to keep her eyes locked on the smartboard behind the desk. "As for you, Nakano—"

Not waiting to hear the rest, Kirika broke into Chifuyu's statement. "Ma'am, if you're going to throw me out, just say so and I won't even bother to unpack my bags. Just let me have enough time to call someone to meet me at the train station when I arrive there—"

Any further comments were interrupted when a gracefully thrown book slapped Kirika directly in the face. Head reeling from the grazing strike, Kirika fell a step back and raised her hands into a defensive posture to block further attacks.

"Nakano, do not interrupt me again," Chifuyu intoned, in a voice utterly devoid of emotion. "As I was going to say, you will also not interrupt me or Yamada-sensei in class again. If you do, the punishment I come up for you will be as equally horrific as the one I promised Alcott. If not more so." Chifuyu's voice grew colder now, drawing heat from the air in the classroom, "and IF you ever threaten another student again like you did today, you will be out the door and on the street fast enough to get a full body road rash. Am I clear?"

Glancing down from the smartboard to see the full promise of violence in Chifuyu's eyes, Kirika felt her spirits start to fall. _Wait...if I do it again?_ "Ma'am? Does this mean I'm not going to be kicked out of the Academy?"

Nodding once in a professional manner, Chifuyu looked up easily at the teen. "Nakano, I feel that every student in my class is allowed one mistake. You have used up yours."

Relief flooding through her, Kirika locked her eyes back onto the smartboard above Chifuyu's head. "Thank you ma'am. I'll remember that in all my future interactions."

Chifuyu's eyes focused hard on the teen, coring straight to the younger woman's soul. "Don't thank me yet. I might not be doing you a favor by letting you stay in the Academy." A hand drifted lazily onto the desk's ingrained controls. A brief set of touches brought up Kirika's student file, while more taps on the controls brought up new screens. Breaking contact briefly, Chifuyu dropped her eyes to the display as both hands tapped in commands. Kirika's picture floated on the display for a minute then vanished. "I've made a change to your schedule, Nakano. Starting tomorrow, you will report to the Maintenance Branch for the post-lunch classes instead of with me. They'll be ready to get you suited up with an Uchigane so you can start your IS familiarization. Alcott is going to be a very tough fight, and you're going to be working against long odds."

A ghost of a smile traced Kirika's face, tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Wouldn't be a first time, ma'am."

Chifuyu stared at the younger woman for a minute, her face inscrutable. "Let's talk informally for a minute, shall we, Nakano?" she asked, one eyebrow raised thoughtfully. "I get the feeling I should know you, but I don't."

Relaxing her stance, Kirika dropped her gaze to meet the older woman's face. "You met my mother, Orimura-sensei. Even worked alongside her for a bit. Her name is Misato Nakano."

Shock and pain flashed across Chifuyu's face for a brief instant before disappearing behind a professional mask. "Yes, that is a name I am familiar with. I guess I saw you and figured it out subconsciously. There's something about you that reminds me of her."

"I'm told I look a bit like her, especially in the face," Kirika replied smoothly, falling into practiced habits. Shifting slightly on both feet, she glanced back towards the two teachers. "Is that going to be all, Orimura-sensei? I need to see about getting settled in the dorm."

Eyes narrowing slightly, Chifuyu nodded curtly. "Just remember what I said about mistakes. I will not make any tolerances for you in the future. Nakano you are dismissed."

Stepping away from the desk, Kirika quickly grabbed up her book satchel and left the classroom. Upon turning down the hallway, a hand clasped down on her shoulder. Jumping into the air, Kirika spun to face the offending person.

"Zorry, zorry," Charlotte said, holding both hands up defensively. "I was worried about what ze teachers were going to do so I waited for you."

The abrupt adrenaline surge passing, Kirika dropped her hands to her side. "Nothing to apologize about. That meeting just left me a bit high strung." Glancing down at her hands, she noticed her left hand was shaking uncontrollably. Clenching the fingers tightly into a fist, she shoved it quickly into a pocket on her jacket.

Charlotte watched the gesture carefully without comment as she grabbed up the dropped satchel. Her face melted into a sympathetic expression, purple eyes full of worry. "What did ze teachers do?"

Walking slowly alongside Charlotte, Kirika tried to calm down boiling emotions. "Pretty much told me that I was on probation. I make any mistake, I get kicked out of the Academy."

Butter blond hair bobbed in time to Charlotte's nods. "But you are still here, non?"

Running her right hand up to a bang, Kirika wrapped it around her middle finger and rubbed it between thumb and index. "For now, anyway."

Smiling softly at her classmate, Charlotte reached up and wrapped one arm across the shorter girl's shoulders. Kirika jerked lightly at the motion, but made no effort to break Charlotte's embrace. They walked in silence down the hallway for a minute. Finally letting the arm fall down, Charlotte shifted her head to look at the shorter girl. "What will you do now, mon ami?"

Kirika's eyes unfocused for a moment as her brain worked on problems. "Orimura-sensei has arranged for me to get some training in on an Uchigane starting tomorrow afternoon. For now, I'm going to go over to the Maintenance Branch. Probably get some food after that, depending on how long it takes."

Charlotte's face went slack for a moment, purple eyes narrowing as she thought furiously. "I might have some helpful advice if you want it. Perhaps we can discuss it in ze cafeteria later?"

"I can always use helpful advice," Kirika replied, a genuine smile creeping onto her lips. "I'll see you at dinner then." Waving goodbye, Charlotte walked off down a connecting hallway leaving Kirika alone in the rush of students. A wave of sadness passed through Kirika briefly until she shook her head and started moving with the flow of traffic.

—*—

"Ah, Kirika! Over here!" Charlotte called out, her voice rising above the din of students eating in the cafeteria. Kirika smiled in acknowledgment, trying not to disrupt the delicate balance of her tray. Meandering through the tables, Kirika found the level of voices in the room growing as she got closer to Charlotte.

Finally setting her tray down, Kirika slid into the booth across from her classmate. A pang of guilt twinged in her as she eyed Charlotte's half eaten meal. "Sorry about it taking so long. There were complications."

Charlotte's fork stopped midway to her mouth as she glanced up under butter blond curls. "Iz something wrong?"

Snapping her chopsticks free, Kirika deftly removed the lids to her meal one handed. "Nothing wrong, just complicated. I was hoping to catch the Maintenance Branch chief there, but Pickett-sensei wasn't there. And the only person in charge made me go through a bunch of administrative hoops before they at least would admit I was supposed to be there." Kirika took a break to pop food into her mouth before continuing, "What can I say? Bureaucracy at it's best."

"It iz ze same at home too," Charlotte suggested, her fork partly obscuring a smirk.

The two ate in comfortable silence for a minute, enjoying the quality of the prepared food. "So," Kirika started, broaching the subject as delicately as she could, "you thought you might have some suggestions?"

Her mouth full of food, Charlotte only nodded a response. Swallowing, she reached out and sipped at the glass of cold water. "I might. But I want to ask you something first, si vous plait."

Kirika felt her breath catch in her throat for just an moment, a reaction she hoped Charlotte missed. Chewing her food for longer than required let her buy up some extra time. "Go ahead," she said with a swallow.

"Why did you accept Cecilia's request for an IS duel even knowing she was a Representative Candidate?" Charlotte asked simply, purple eyes radiating curiosity.

Blinking hard at the question, Kirika reached out and picked up her teacup. Staring down into the cup, she sipped at it thoughtfully for a moment. "Well—that's a good question. I suppose the easiest answer would be to say she just rubbed me the wrong way, and that I don't care to back down to anyone who gets on my nerves like that."

Nodding thoughtfully, Charlotte dropped her voice down a bit lower. "But zhat was not ze reason was it? A Representative Candidate who has her own personal machine will be a very difficult fight. Some might even say impossible."

Smirking back at her classmate, Kirika smoothly placed her tea down on the table. "No, it wasn't the only reason. I think the biggest reason is that even at this point of my life, I've already gone up in some competition against people who were good at what they did. Some of them were even the best in their fields." Setting down her chopsticks, Kirika let her hazel eyes lock directly onto Charlotte's purple ones. "And for every person who told me I couldn't win against them, I'll show you someone I ultimately beat after they misjudged me."

"So you are saying you will win?"

Kirika's head gave a quick sideways jerk, tossing her bangs around. "I'm not saying I will win. I'm saying that I can win. My winning isn't sure, but my making damned sure if Cecilia wins, then she's going to have to work hard. Good enough?"

Charlotte grinned lightly at her classmate. "Oui, zhat iz good enough," she said, pushing her tray away from her. "Zhere iz something I like about you, Kirika. So I would like to help you out with your match, if you agree."

"What do you mean," Kirika asked in a guarded tone, her face emotionless.

Charlotte's face settled into a relaxed, open expression. "I suppose we should be properly introduced, n'est-ce pas? I am Charlotte Dunois, from ze Dunois Corporation." Reaching under the collar of her uniform, Charlotte pulled out a simple chain from around her neck. A pendant in the shape of a small orange egg with protruding wing-like edges hung delicately from the chain. "I am also ze Representative Candidate of France and in possession of my own IS."

Kirika's eyes widened at the last statement as her jaw dropped free. "So you're saying...?"

"Zhat I will help train you as much as possible for your match, if zhat iz what you want," Charlotte finished with a twinkle in her eyes.

Fighting to regain her composure, Kirika closed her mouth with an audible snap. Realizing some response was appropriate, her mind raced to come up with a solution. "I would be honored," Kirika said at last, "to have you help me train for my upcoming match Charlotte."

"Ses trop bien." Placing her utensils on the empty plate, Charlotte smiled angelically at Kirika. "I will talk to Ms. Orimura tomorrow morning, see if she will approve my getting some extra time to train you."

Picking up her chopsticks, Kirika started to race through the remaining food on her plate. "Guess I'd better get finished up. I need to go find my room and unpack." Eating quickly, she noticed how loud the room seemed to be now. "Is it just me, or is this place getting noisy?"

Sipping from the last of her water, Charlotte nodded once. "Oui, it has gotten louder since you arrived. Zhat would be natural, I think. Everyone iz talking about you."

That tidbit stopped Kirika cold, the chopsticks held mid-motion. "You mean everyone in our class?"

Shaking her head slightly, Charlotte's voice softened to a near whisper. "Ze whole school."

Her face going pale, Kirika dropped her food and almost her chopsticks. "The school?" She asked, her voice incredulous. "The whole school?"

"I am not certain, but I should think most of it," Charlotte replied apologetically. "It iz not everyday zhat a person without an IS should accept a challenge from a Candidate Representative. You will be quite popular."

Cursing softly under her breath, Kirika tried to just focus on eating. _I am in such deep shit now._

—*—

Looking up at the room number, Kirika double-checked it against the key she was issued. The door unlocked quietly, swinging open smoothly on well maintained hinges. Inside the room, two desks were visible, while the edges of a bed peaked out from the room's dividers. Walking in and closing the door, Kirika heard water running from the closed door to her left.

Dropping her bags by the nearest desk, Kirika tried to figure out her roommate while she waited. A bokken rested on an open gym bag, with a hakama top visible through the zipper. Unbuttoning her uniform top, Kirika started to pull off clothes as the water sounds ceased. The side door opened, revealing a very tall teenager, a towel wrapped around her voluptuous torso and another one rubbing long black hair.

"My name is Houki Shinonono, sorry to greet you like this. Since I guess we're roommates, let's try to take care of each other this year."

Kirika smiled mechanically, the expression revealing nothing. "Yes Shinonono-chan, I know who you are. We are in the same class, after all."

Houki paused a moment to wipe water away from her eyes with the hair towel. "You...you're Nakano-chan correct? You sit in the middle, near the back?"

Nodding as she folded her uniform coat, Kirika turned her back to the other teen. "That's me. And since we're going to be roommates around here, call me Rika. At least while we're in the room." Finishing up with the coat, Kirika proceeded to remove the skirt and hung it carefully in the closet.

A brief smile graced Houki's face as she kept drying off her hair. "Okay Rika, please call me Houki since we're roommates. And I do want to apologize not greeting you when you came in, but—"

"You were dirty from your kendo activities and just wanted to be clean," Kirika finished for her.

Houki blinked hard at having someone else finish her sentence. "Wow, you paid attention to the introductions. I only really caught names."

Grinning at Houki's reaction, Kirika turned and faced her roommate. "Well, I did pay attention a bit, but it wasn't the introductions that tipped me off," she said smugly. Stretching one foot out, the toes came to tap the open gym bag. "I had a bit of help."

Houki's face went blank for a moment as her eyes traced Kirika's motion. "Oh. You saw my bokken." A quiet laugh started to bubble up through her lips. Her eyes lit up brightly with laughter, which prompted Kirika to join in. The laughter stopped abruptly as something caught Houki's attention. "Hey, is that a tattoo?"

"Yeah, it is," Kirika acknowledged as she pulled up the sleeve on her left arm. A tiger's long form decorated her biceps, head down and stalking towards the elbow. The emerald eyes of the tiger gleamed brightly, the muscles of the beast were tight. Making a fist, Kirika flexed the biceps and made the tiger dance in the soft reading light. "But if you think that's something, you should see the other one."

Quickly unbuttoning her short sleeved blouse, Kirika spun away from Houki and dropped off the shirt. A desert scene showed two mesas, the moon partially obscured by roiling clouds. Caught at the end of a canyon was a female rider on a rearing white horse, her face lost in the shadows of a mask. Opposite the rider was a king cobra, hood out in threat posture while two more snakes laid trampled under the horse's hooves. Lying on the rider's lap was a small child, while blood leaked from wounds on the horse's flanks and the rider's side.

Staring at it in awe for a moment, Houki raised on hand tentatively towards it. "It's beautiful Rika," she said, gesturing with a hand. "May I—?

"Sure Houki." Kirika nodded quickly. The first touch was light and barely grazed the skin, then Houki's calloused hands started stroking the entire design. A minor shiver went through Kirika as Houki finally removed her hand.

"That's awesome. I thought it would feel like paint, not skin..." Houki drifted off thoughtfully as she continued to admire the artistry.

Turning to face her roommate, Kirika shrugged lightly as she opened one of her bags. "Everyone does at least the first time."

Houki started to open up her other bags, the moment passed. "I can't imagine what your parents said when they saw that. They must have freaked out."

Flashing a knowing smile at Houki, Kirika kept digging in her bag for the right clothes. "Well, by that point I think they were past the excitable stage. But we did have words. Eventually we came to a sort of agreement about it."

Kirika finally found the relaxed clothes she favored, a faded gold sleeveless shirt with a pair of blue gym shorts. Sliding the clothes on, she turned to face Houki who was pulling on a simple yukata. Houki's hands quickly tied off the accompanying obi with practiced motions. "Looks like I've got a long day tomorrow, Houki," Kirika stated, only partially feigning at exhaustion. "I'm going to sleep now, but don't worry about making noise. I'm told I can sleep under a moving train."

Smiling at the imagery, Houki yawned herself. "No, I'm a bit tired myself. The rest of this can wait til tomorrow." A flick of a switch killed the remaining lights in the room, leaving a couple of clock displays as the ghostly illumination to the room. The quiet rustle of sheets made itself known, and so the first day ended.

* * *

A/N: As I said in the description, I do consider this a sequel to my "Through the Looking Glass" story. So I'll be referring to events that happened to it along the way. Folks might want to read that one to understand some of the elements as we go on through this.

As always, I have to say this: IF YOU READ THE STORY, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. Love it, hate it, don't understand it, I don't care. If I'm not getting any feedback, then I can't be sure I'm not doing my best for you all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.  
-Horace

Walking through the first set of security doors, Kirika tried not to let her excitement show as she entered the main area of the Maintenance Branch. The sharp tang of metal clashed with the acrid smell of ozone and other indistinct smells. Voices shouted for attention over the echoing rings of metal on metal and the squeal of power tools.

"You need something first year?" A stern voice asked, startling Kirika. The voice's owner was a young woman, her ebony skin a sharp contrast to the grey coveralls. Over her nametag was a small patch that read 'third'.

"Sempai, I was sent here to see Branch Chief Pickett," Kirika replied, tiling her head towards the ground in deference. Emerald eyes never left the older girl, cautiously watching for any attack gesture. "Orimura-sensei gave me those orders."

Eyes widening at the name, the third year grunted lightly. "Chief Pickett's in her office I think." Getting the necessary directions, Kirika bowed respectfully and headed towards the far corner office. Dodging and weaving around people going about their tasks, Kirika tried not to stare in admiration as she came to an open doorway set flush against the wall.

The office seemed small, with an oversized desk set against one wall, a couple of storage cabinets and a floor to ceiling display on the far wall. Three chairs were visible, all of them practical but none gave the appearance of comfort. The desk had a scattering of papers and a series of small circles staining the top. Kirika took a fast glance, not really focusing on details as she grew more comfortable. Her voice was barely a murmur as lips twitched into a quirky grin. "My kind of place."

"So glad you appreciate it student," a voice announced behind Kirika, causing her to jump lightly. Spinning around in mid-air, Kirika found herself facing an older woman, just barely into middle age. Her dirty blond hair tied was tightly against a narrow head, while brown eyes showed wisdom even against the almost youthful face. "Just who the hell are you?"

Snapping to an attentive posture, Kirika locked her eyes on the far wall. "Kirika Nakano, first year student member of class one!" Her voice threatened to break, but she focused and kept it level. "Orimura-sensei sent me over here because I need to get extra IS training."

Nodding slowly, Maintenance Branch Chief Amanda Pickett motioned for Kirika to sit in a chair as she leaned on the corner of the desk. "Aight, yeah. I remember seein sumthin about that." The voice drawled on, reflecting on a southern heritage. "So you're the reason my entire schedule is thrown out of whack?"

Flushing at the implications, Kirika swallowed hard under the scrutiny of the older woman. "Yes ma'am," she barely managed to squeak out.

"Aight, let's git started then," Chief Pickett stood up straight and glanced over the teenager sitting there. "Did you bring an IS suit with you?"

Mentally flatfooted, Kirika waited a moment before responding. "An IS suit? Yes ma'am, I'm wearing one under my uniform."

"Okay, go ahead and strip down. Toss your stuff in one of the storage lockers and you can git it later."

Kirika quickly stripped out of her uniform, careful to avoid wrinkling it in the process. Folding it loosely, she placed it onto an empty shelf in a cabinet already cluttered with devices of varying types. Feeling better without the extra layer of clothing, Kirika turned to face Chief Pickett again. The older woman nodded once and walked out of the office beckoning Kirika to follow.

Clearing the doorway, Chief Pickett put two fingers into her mouth and cut loose with an ear splitting whistle. Heads turned towards Pickett as Kirika slapped her hands to her head reflexively. Pointing at one person, Pickett waved her over. Kirika noticed it was the same third year who had helped her previously. When the older student got closer, Chief Pickett motioned at Kirika. "Take her over to unit P68 and get her seated in. I'll be right along."

Walking around people and their projects, the third year quickly lead Kirika to an Uchigane near the far wall. Grabbing a short metal ladder resting against the wall, the third year set it up and rested a leg on the support side. Kirika scampered up the ladder and stepped into the Uchigane, feeling a tingle as the cool metal brushed against her exposed skin. Hunching over as she carefully turned in place, Kirika dropped into the IS's metal legs.

The third year, having climbed the ladder herself, stepped onto the Uchigane close to Kirika. Hands ran through practiced motions as the pressure collars on the legs were checked and sealed before skimming the IS suit to Kirika's waist. Running her right arm down the sleeve, Kirika tried to help only to have her free hand slapped away. Sighing inwardly, Kirika just let the third year do the work as she concentrated on the new feelings from being strapped into an IS.

Kirika was just seating her left arm when Chief Pickett joined them, holding a small tray containing two objects. Experienced eyes scanned the teenager in the training model, looking for any out of place items. Finding none, Pickett grunted once. "Good work as always Nafosa. Here."

"Thanks Chief, " Nafosa said as she looked down from her work for a moment. Stretching down, Nafosa picked up the proffered devices from the tray. Affixing each one to Kirika's temple just above her bangs, Nafosa stepped onto the ladder and climbed down. Chief Pickett watched as Nafosa professionally cleared the ladder and returned it back to storage.

Looking up at Kirika in the Uchigane, Chief Pickett frowned slightly. "Aight, normally we do things differently than this, but since Instructor Orimura wants you to get trained fast, we have to do it fast. Hope you don' have a problem with hard work kid." Flipping the tray over revealed it to be a tablet pressed into alternate service. Tapping on it lightly, Chief Pickett thumbed through screens until finding the desired one.

The Uchigane hummed to life and started to flash a HUD in front of Kirika's eyes. Metal collars tightened marginally, the pauldrons floated up to a stable position above Kirika's shoulders. Chief Pickett watched as the Uchigane came alive, checking the tablet's display for any irregularities. Failing to find any, Chief Pickett looked up at Kirika as she was working her hands in the gauntlets. "Enough grabassin', I ain't got time to let you play." Chief Pickett looked down to make adjustments on the tablet. "Okay, I've set your Passive Inertial Canceller to sixty percent. Means you won't fly, but you also shouldn't fall. I want you to walk your IS over to the elevators for transport to arena four. Jus remember, you do anything really stupid and I'll kill the suit on you."

Swallowing softly, Kirika looked down to make sure she wasn't going to step on anyone. Raising her head with a determined look, she lifted her left foot in an exaggerated movement, the IS responding to the control. The foot surged upwards, almost going into a kick before Kirika compensated and stomped it down to the ground. Blushing furiously, she glanced up to see if anyone was staring at her. Seeing no one, Kirika focused on moving her right foot now, trying not to repeat her previous mistake. The right foot went through the process of the step smoothly compared to the first attempt.

"Come on, git movin'. Ain't got all day," Chief Pickett complained, walking ahead of Kirika. Shifting her position bit by bit, Kirika managed to start walking behind the older woman, albeit in a wobbling course.

After several near accidents, Kirika managed to get herself positioned on the platform where Chief Pickett was waiting. Chief Pickett tapped a control on her tablet and the platform shook with a vibration before dropping down into the concealed shaft. Kirika watched the entire process around her as the platform shifted to a horizontal transport, eyes wide with awe.

Chief Pickett thumbed through several screens before looking back up at Kirika in the IS. "Aight honey, what the devil is goin on around here?" she demanded of the teen. "I don' recall the last time I had Instructor Orimura ask for this kind of treatment. Least not for a first year."

Caught off guard at the question, Kirika focused on the older woman. "Well ma'am it's...complicated," she started weakly.

The platform vibrated a second time as it started to climb up. Chief Pickett nodded sagaciously. "Yeah, I reckon it is. So consider it an order to simplify my life and tell me about it."

Kirika realized the trap and resigned herself to her fate. "I agreed to an IS match with another student to determine who was our class representative."

A single eyebrow cocked itself up at that info. "Who's the other student?"

"Cecilia Alcott," Kirika replied with a touch of exasperation.

Tapping the tablet's screen again, Chief Pickett played with the device a moment. Finally, a picture appeared on Kirika's HUD. "This her?"

"Yes ma'am," Kirika answered as the platform came to a rest in a large room with a couple of people sized doors and a long corridor off the ground.

Skimming over the data on her screen, Chief Pickett's eyes started to widen a bit. A toothy grin broke her lips, and pale blue eyes started to shine with mirth. "Honey, you've got balls the size of a Brahma bull's," she said with a momentary bark of laughter. "Jack shit for brains, but huge balls. Welp, let's get this show on the road."

Chief Pickett deftly manipulated the tablet, playing with various settings. Kirika started to float higher off the ground as the IS grew lighter. "Aight, I've set your PIC to full power, but your thrusters are still disabled until you get into the arena proper. I'm gonna go git in the control room for the arena. You git yourself out to the arena grounds."

Kirika watched dumbstruck as the older woman started walking away. "Pickett-sensei how am I supposed to get out to the arena grounds without the thrusters?" Chief Pickett gave no sign that she heard the question and just kept walking out of the room. Eyeing the room carefully, Kirika looked around for any possible solution to her problem. _Come on, your wasting time_ , she chided herself mentally.

Feeling the tips of her armored feet start to skim the ground gave Kirika an inkling of inspiration. _That might work._ Walking carefully in the IS, Kirika positioned herself so that she was more or less in line for the launch corridor. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kirika took a pair of quick steps and jumped in the IS. The PIC negated the external gravity around the IS and let Kirika somersault in the air towards the launch corridor. Clearing the lower ledge, Kirika bounced off the top of the launch tube and rebounded towards the bottom. Rolling to get her feet down, Kirika managed to use her momentum to keep moving down the launch tube.

Two minutes and nearly a dozen bone jarring rebounds later, Kirika found herself at the open edge of the launch corridor. The arena seats were empty and blue skies shone through the forcefields that encapsulated the arena. Taking in the entire scene before her, Kirika closed her eyes for a moment and imagined the roar of a crowd as she entered the field ready to do battle.

**"Git a move on honey."** Chief Pickett's voice interrupted Kirika's fantasy, bringing her back to reality. **"I've enabled your thrusters now so you can start flying. Jus' think about it and ya'll take off."**

Visualizing the flight controls, Kirika took off shakily into the still air.

—*—

Hours later, Kirika walked slowly into her dorm room. Her body was sore and drenched in sweat from all of the day's exertions. Passing by the bathroom brought the sounds of Houki in the shower again. "Well, that was a spectacular failure," Kirika murmured to herself.

Exhaustion setting in, Kirika flopped down hard onto the bed. Letting her eyes drift close for a moment, she replayed the entire training session. _Bouncing down the launch corridor, nearly a hundred crashes in the abortive flight training. Little wonder I'm sore._ Opening her eyes, Kirika got up from the bed and sat down at her desk. Running hands over the terminal, she accessed a program and started working quickly. Her fingers made delicate adjustments to the developing image on the screen in an effort to match it up to the picture in her mind. Finalizing it, Kirika saved the image and brought up her email. Using an address from memory, she sent out a brief email with the image attached.

_Now for the hard part,_ she thought to herself. Pulling out a desk drawer, Kirika found her cell phone right where she'd left it. Thumbing a speed dial, she raised the device to her ear as it started to ring. A gruff voice grunted from the speaker exactly as intended. Kirika's eyes flicked over to the far side of the room, listening for the stop of running water. "It's me," she stated simply.

Another grunt came from the phone. "Listen, I need a favor." Kirika started, resolving herself to her decision. "How many projects do you have that are supposed to be finished in the next ten days?" Listening to the response, Kirika nodded routinely. "Okay, I need you to pull everyone you can without delaying those projects. I've sent you something I need made, and I need it done ASAP. The email is a rough sketch, plus how I think it should work. Cost is no object, getting it done is the only consideration. Triple shift it, offer them double overtime, whatever it takes."

A long pause carried over the phone, the clicking of a keyboard the only sounds heard. A soft moan came through next as Kirika expected. "I know, I know. It's not the normal sort of thing for you guys. But after all the years I've heard how good you are at everything and anything mechanical," she paused as her voice grew sweeter, "it's time for you to guys to prove it. You can either shit or get off the pot. Today is Tuesday. I need it made and sent via courier out to me no later than Friday evening."

The muted response was livid and understandably so. But even as Kirika heard the words, she already knew the outcome. Hearing the shower sounds end, she quickly said goodbye and hung up. The phone was stowed back into the drawer and the monitor cleared as the bathroom door opened to release a curtain of steam. Houki walked out, again with a towel wrapped around her and a second dabbing at her hair. "Hey Rika," she greeted, continuing to dab at her damp hair.

"Hey," Kirika replied with a weary grin. Houki came down to sit at her own desk, her hands making steady movements through her hair. Blue eyes traveled over Kirika's form for a minute taking in the situation.

"You look tired. How was the training session?"

Cocking her head to the side, Kirika let her grin drop. "Feel like I got worked over by a couple of guys with attitudes. I'm stiff and sore in places I wasn't aware I had. Piloting one of those things can be a real workout."

"I can imagine," Houki said mechanically, her eyes growing distant. Kirika watched for a short moment as Houki's hands continued to work.

Watching for a moment longer, Kirika felt a surge of frustration in her chest. Grabbing a brush and rising, Kirika motioned to her roommate. "Come here Houki." Confused, Houki got up and walked closer, only to be grabbed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Kneeling down behind the taller girl, Kirika started running the stiff brush through the long hair, careful not to pull on some strands. "Sorry Houki, but it was going to get on my nerves eventually. Figured I'd get it out of the way now than let it blow up later."

Houki started to jerk at the first pull, but soon relaxed into it. After a half dozen strokes, she found the strength to talk again. "How is my hair going to get on your nerves," she asked wryly.

Snagging the brush on a loose snarl, Kirika tugged gently to pull it free. "Well, it's not just your hair. It's a lot of, well, you." Pulling hard, the brush almost got away as it came loose. "I mean, look at you. You've got the kind of body that can ensure the attention of any man in the world. Most women too for that matter. And yet you don't seem to know to care about it. Ryou-chan would have dragged you into a salon kicking and screaming."

"Ryou-chan?" Houki asked, the sudden change in topic distracting her.

"One of my few friends, back in Tokyo." Kirika's tongue peeked out of a corner as she worked on a particularly hard hairball. Leaning forward across the taller girl's shoulder, she glanced into blue eyes to avoid noticing anything else. "Not as tall as you, and I don't think she's quite as attractive as you. Ryou-chan would deny that of course. But I'll tell you this, when we hit the clubs in Shibuya, she doesn't pay for anything. She knows what she's got and how to work it without being trampy."

"Oh," Houki said quietly. One hand came up pull the towel tighter on her chest as her eyes dropped down, breaking the contact. "I guess I've been busy with my kendo to notice that sort of thing. But I have seen the attention I've gotten from some of my teammates, some other girls at times."

Leaning back on her feet, Kirika grabbed up the spare towel and strained out water from Houki's hair. "Probably a lot of jealousy. I mean, if I hadn't had so much time hanging out with Ryou-chan and others, I'd be a bit jealous too. Let's face it, one of your breasts is worth both of mine and then some." Feeling the tremor in Houki's shoulders, Kirika realized she'd touched a nerve. "But don't let that get you down. Just learn what it can do and how to best to control it, like anything else."

Finding most of the hair straight and dry, Kirika tapped her roommate on the shoulders. Standing up, she walked around to see the taller girl lost in thought. Tossing the towel onto the chair, she looked straight at her friend. Mulling over her next question, Kirika quickly came to a conclusion. "Shinonono-san, can I ask a favor of you," she asked formally, all playfulness gone.

Houki's eyes flicked up to meet hazel ones intently. "What kind of favor, Nakano-san," she replied neutrally. "Because if you think I can give you secrets about an IS due to my name you're sorely mistaken—"

"No no no," Kirika interrupted, one hand waving the objection off. "Dunois-san said she'd teach me how to pilot an IS for my match. I should be good on that regard." Sitting down backwards in the char, she leaned heavily on the frame in exhaustion. "My favor is to have you help me learn how to fight without an IS."

Confusion crossed Houki's face as her lips parted slightly. "What?"

"It's like this. I've been in a handful of fights over the years. None of them were really organized things like an IS match. All I really know about fights is to hurt the other person enough that they want to run away or to get you the chance to run. Figuring out an opponent's strategy, making a plan to counter it, how to see their weaknesses, I don't know any of that." Kirika paused to point out the gym bag sitting at the foot of Houki's bed. "That's stuff you know that I'd like you to teach me."

Houki's lips closed as her mind raced over the idea. "I think I could do that. But I want a favor in return. I want you to teach me how to be a bit more feminine."

"Deal," Kirika agreed with a smirk on her lips.

—*—

Entering the arena the next day, Kirika stopped cold at the sight before her. An IS sat there waiting for her, hunched over to allow easy access. But it wasn't the Uchigane she had used yesterday. "That's not right..." Kirika started, her voice trailing off.

"Oh, it's right honey," Chief Pickett's voice said from behind Kirika, causing the teen to jump slightly. "I made some calls last night, got you a different IS to use for your match. It ain't as good as the one Alcott's usin, but it should drop the odds from 'requires an act of God' to 'insanely difficult'."

Shifting a package under her left arm, Chief Pickett walked past the young woman as she kept talking. "There are some conditions to using this Rafale Revive. The primary pilot for it has allowed you to borrow it, but if they need it for any reason they get it first. Since you probably won't have time to get familiar the weapon transfer system, we'll have to figure out what load out you'll use in your match."

Chief Pickett glanced over her shoulder at Kirika, motioning the teen to hurry up. Breaking into a light jog, the teen moved quickly to climb into the Revive. Settling her legs in comfortably, Kirika watched the instructor's actions intently as the older woman easily adjusted the IS with one rough hand. Rolling her left hand, Chief Pickett showed Kirika what had been carried under her arm.

It might have started out it's life as a motorcycle helmet. Designed to cover the crown of the head, it lacked any face protection and barely dropped down the sides of Kirika's head. Two long grooves have been cut out of the top of the helmet for reasons that Kirika couldn't make out. _Looks like...what was it called...a spork that was bent._ Kirika's eyes glanced inquisitively from the object to Chief Pickett.

"Called a couple of friends. This helmet was designed to help a pilot synch up to her IS faster. More sensors used, gits us brain data more efficiently. But it's a prototype so it might have bugs to work out. Good thang I've got you to use as a lab rat." The older woman plopped the helmet on Kirika's head and smoothly secured the straps. "Jus lemme know if you get any shocks from it."

Chief Pickett reached into a pocket and produced the neuro-sensors for the Revive and attached them to Kirika's forehead in the grooves of the helmet. "Pulled your data from yesterday, plus the stuff from your qualification fight and dumped them into the IS's computer. I also added a program to the Revive, it should help auto-tune the system to you. I think."

Kirika's mouth dropped open as the older woman stepped away from her. "Pickett-sensei, why do all this for me? It sounds like a lot of work."

Brown eyes crinkled in a mirthful expression at the teen. "Ain't really a big deal. Gits me a chance to play with some new toys, which I enjoy as much as the next woman. Sides," she drawled, stretching the word out, "I'm American. Means I've got this problem with unfair fights. Unless I'm the one doing the fighting."

Calling out to no one in particular, Chief Pickett stepped away from Kirika in the Revive. Frowning a moment, Kirika felt the IS hum as it powered up around her. The HUD flashed for a minute and disappeared. Feeling lighter now, Kirika took a few tentative steps from the start position, getting accustomed the new weight.

"Aight, enough of that," Chief Pickett growled. "Had a thought about thangs yesterday. Might make it easier for you to fly at least until you git used to the controls. I know you're young, but did you learn to drive yet?"

Stopping mid-stride, Kirika turned back to look at the older woman. "You mean a car Pickett-sensei? Yeah, I know how to drive a car."

"Some lil rice burner I bet," Pickett replied with a near masculine grunt.

Relaxing as she fell onto comfortable ground, Kirika kept her voice neutral. "You'd lose Pickett-sensei. It was a Shelby Cobra GT500. Six on the floor, double clutched with a custom engine. Went from zero to one hundred in four point three eight seconds."

Eyes widening at the description, Chief Pickett nodded once. "I take back that 'rice burner' comment. Aight, close your eyes for a bit. Don' open them til I tell you to." Confused, Kirika closed her eyes and waited. Seeing the student comply, Chief Pickett started talking again. "So sitting in your car, that beastly engine rumbling through your seat. Red light's shinin through the front."

As Pickett's words reached her, Kirika felt the image form in her mind. The bass vibration of the engine leaving a pleasant tingle in her stomach and other places. Safety straps snug on her shoulders, the gauges all in their proper places. The clutch was firm under her foot, the cool leather of the gearshift reassuring her.

"GREEN LIGHT, GO GO GO!"  Without opening her eyes, Kirika felt a tug as the IS leapt off the ground. Her bangs whipped across her face for a moment before settling down. In her mind the car gave a bone rattling roar as the clutch came out and put on the power.

**"LEFT TURN!"** Chief Pickett's voice came out from a spot near Kirika's head. Eyes still closed, she saw her hands swinging the wheel over, braking just enough to keep control.

**"RIGHT!"** Kirika actually felt the car swing around and try to fishtail out as she forced it through the new turn.

**"RED LIGHT!"** The gearshift popped into neutral as a foot slammed down hard on the brakes to an accompanying squeal. The car nosedived against it's own weight before coming to a stop.

**"Okay Nakano, go ahead and open your eyes."** Kirika opened her eyes to find herself floating in the Revive near the top of the arena.

"Wow..." Kirika breathed reverently, looking down at the distant teacher.

**"Some people jus need a better image to wrap their brains around than that arrow and dot thang."** Chief Pickett's voice said by way of explanation. **"I reckon that might include you. Control, can you show us the replay of her flight just now?"**

A window popped up on Kirika's HUD, showing her standing near the older woman. The video played out quickly, with the IS promptly responding to the images in her mind. Kirika watched how her body swung wide with the turns, limbs flailing uncontrollably during the shift right. Ending, the image froze to a still of her in the current position. **"Control, how'd the EEG read?"**

"Readings are strong, but also a bit dirty. There still seems to be some interference," a high pitched voice replied. Kirika jolted in surprise as she recognized the voice. **"Pickett-sama, I think the problem is with accepting the auxiliary inputs from the helmet feeds,"** Maya Yamada concluded.

**"You're probably right,"** Chief Pickett admitted, the voice growing distant as her mind started to work on it.

**"Welp, I can adjust later after I git more data to evaluate. For now, jus let her fly, but push her. More data I git, the better I can finagle it. You understand honey?"**

Not realizing the question was for her, Kirika was slow to respond. "Yes ma'am." Watching Chief Pickett start to walk away, Kirika focused on that same mental image from before. The IS twitched and started to drift forward under marginal control as sweat broke out on her forehead. _This should be easier now, I hope_ , Kirika told herself. _Now I just have to prove it to myself._

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this update done and posted. I had intended to have it updated MUCH sooner, but between work, the holidays and a few minor hiccups getting the scenes to feel right, it took a lot longer than I was expecting.

As always, if you've read it please review it to let me how bad I suck, how much you love the story, whatever. It's crucial to an author to have feedback to know if I'm doing it right or wrong.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
Don't ever write a check with your mouth  
you can't cash with your ass.  
-Wiseman

Kirika strode purposefully into the arena's preparation area with Charlotte and Houki close behind. The last week had passed by in a blur. Both friends had been a real godsend in the last week, even as the extended training had dragged on and left Kirika exhausted. Charlotte was not easy going as a teacher, pushing Kirika to keep up through difficult aerial obstacle courses while being shot at the entire time. She also gave Kirika much needed experience in using a variety of IS weapons.

Houki had been even more thorough as a teacher. She had found a number of online videos, some of them even matches she had participated in. Houki had carefully watched them with Kirika, explaining meticulously what she saw in each movement, in each stance. After being bombarded by all the information, Houki then took Kirika down to the kendo club's storage room and demonstrated in person. Kirika tried to follow it all, but the sheer volume of work getting done left her overwhelmed. She had the bruises all over to prove it.

A Revive was waiting for it's pilot, illuminated by the room's overhead lamps. Kirika started to strip out of her school uniform to reveal the IS suit underneath as her eyes tracked over it. There was an odd bulge inside the left shoulder assembly. The right arm had a peculiar shape, while a handful of weapons were laying on a cart near the IS.

Folding her clothes lightly, Kirika handed them over to Houki. The cold floor raised goosebumps on her skin as she walked around the IS that had been provided for her match. Climbing competently up the legs, Kirika settled in to the greaves and closed her eyes as she listened to her heart pound in her chest. Opening her eyes, Kirika found both friends staring worriedly at her.

"How do you feel?" Charlotte asked quietly as violet eyes crinkled around the edges.

Sliding one hand into the sleeve of the gauntlet, Kirika focused on the task at hand. "Take your pick. I'm stiff and sore in places I wasn't aware existed two weeks ago. It's taking everything I have not to go puke my guts up. I really need to pee, too." Shifting positions to the other arm, the redhead let her eyes meet her friend's. "And my body is screaming at me to go sleep for about a month."

The taller girls shared a look at the last comment. The school gossip circles had been alight with incidents of one, or both girls, helping Kirika back to her room. "That's just nerves," Houki stated assuredly with a soft smile. "Happens to me before my tournament matches too."

"Good, you're here," came a stern voice from behind the two teens. Charlotte twitched as she turned to face Chifuyu Orimura, Chief Pickett and Assistant Director Bogdanova. Kirika noted as her roommate tensed up when their instructor walked past, Houki's shoulders visibly shaking unexpectedly. Houki quickly covered the movement by re-folding Kirika's uniform, but blue eyes narrowed and hardened watching the older woman. Kirika let one eye track her roommate moving away from the teacher while her hands went through practiced motions.

None of the adults seemed to notice Houki's actions, or did not care if they did. Chifuyu looked over her student with a professional gaze as preparations concluded. The Assistant Director seemed out of place in the bay, but her intense emerald eyes drifted up to meet the student's hazel ones. "You do know you don't have to this?" Director Bogdanova asked in a neutral tone. "You could still back out and no one would hold it against you."

Kirika considered the implications for a long pair of heartbeats before shaking her head. "If I walked away, then all the efforts my friends have made," she stated, inclining her head towards Houki and Charlotte, "would be wasted. That's something I would have to hold against myself. I'd rather finish what I started."

Raising one eyebrow philosophically, the director reached into her jacket. A small bundle of paper came out and was held up by two fingers towards Chifuyu. Grinning devilishly, the teacher snagged the proffered item and smoothly slid it into a hip pocket. "Okay lil bit," drawled out the maintenance branch supervisor, "let's talk weapons. You've got a fifty-five caliber assault rifle and a twenty millimeter submachine gun. Normally we would give you more options, but that requires the packet transfer system which we didn't have time to familiarize you with. I had both guns fitted with expanded magazines to help offset the problem though. We CAN use the packet system to reload the guns, but it will take approximately five seconds to cycle a weapon. Just call for a reload and I'll take care of it. There's a combat knife on each leg too." Grease stained hands pointed out to each item as they were described. "I also loaded you with a couple of special items. Near the top of the left pauldron is a rocket pod. Seven rounds, no tracking and no reloads. Proximity fused, but a near-hit will still take a chunk out of a shield."

Chief Pickett's face broke into a frown as her eyes drifted to the right arm. "And I installed that item you brought to me. Trigger's set like you specified. Looks like it should work but I won't say for certain."

Kirika ran one hand over the bulge on the forearm, careful to not jar it. "Is it okay for me to use something like it?"

All three older women exchanged a meaningful look. Finally coming a silent conclusion, the Director spoke up first. "While it has unusual origins, there is no rule about customized equipment for a match like this."

"In fact, customized equipment tends to be the rule," Chifuyu added with a nod.

Accepting the information slowly, Kirika glanced down one more time. Her mind drifted slightly to the sight of her deliveryman, and his words: _This was the fifth version of your design. All the others exploded when we tested it._

The Revive clicked and hummed, powering up around Kirika. Picking up the rifle, she secured it on the underside of the right paldron and then took the SMG into her left hand. Floating up off the ground, she turned towards the corridor leading to the arena. A pair of voices caught her attention as the thrusters started to come online.

"Do your best roomie," Houki shouted enthusiastically.

"Je te dis merde." Charlotte agreed, eyes shining brightly.

The tunnel loomed menacingly as Kirika flew onwards to her battle. Her Revive reacting fluidly as Kirika exited the tunnel and entered the arena proper. Blue sky greeted her, breaking a momentary surge of claustrophobia from being in the tunnel. A lone form hovered in the middle of the arena; the blue IS trimmed in silver while a large rifle with a scope rested in the pilot's hands.

Flying shakily to the middle, Kirika brought herself level to Cecilia. The Briton's face radiated shock at seeing her challenger in a Revive. "That's...that's not a training suit!" she blurted out angrily. "Control, what is the meaning of this?"

Chifuyu Orimura's voice came back immediately. **"It was decided to let Ms. Nakano use a Revive. If that's a problem, you can always forfeit."**

Cecilia shook her head wildly, causing long hair to buck and thrash. "I don't care if she uses a Revive. She won't be able to compete against my superior skills."

"Well, I guess you DID manage to find a way to power your shields with your ego," Kirika conceded with a smirk. "But then, you would have to do something to take away from those wide hips of yours."

Sputtering loudly, Cecilia snapped the rifle to her shoulder in an instant. "I will take those words and shove them down your throat," she bellowed, a sneer creasing her lips, "grease monkey."

Instructor Orimura's voice came back on the radio to both girls. **"This match will be concluded when one of you has no shield power or otherwise concedes. It will determine who will be the representative for class one-one."** She paused for a moment to let the implications sink in with both girls. **"Now BEGIN!"**

An azure beam lanced out instantly at Kirika, targeted dead center. The redhead flared her thrusters and jumped over it, but the energy still grazed her Revive's shields. Kiirka's HUD updated itself quickly. **[Shield power: 583]**

Bringing up the SMG in her left hand, Kirika squeezed off a pair of short bursts. " _Ze trick when shooting iz to shoot not where zhey are, but where zhey will be,"_ Charlotte's soft voice played out in her mind. The first burst was on target, bullets sparkling brightly against Blue Tears' shields. Cecilia threw herself into an evasive pattern that dodged the second burst.

A second beam lashed out at Kirika, who kept her IS weaving and bobbing to evade further attacks. Rolling to present the gun back to her opponent, Kirika heard Charlotte's voice in her mind again. _"Guns are a useful zhing to an IS pilot, but zhey have several flaws: rounds do not travel instantly. Using range and speed, a gun's zhreat can be reduced."_

Firing off a quick burst at her opponent, Kirika watched her ammo count deplete. **[Rounds: 79]**. Changing tactics, she banked hard to her left and charged Cecilia at top speed. Cecilia grinned as the sniper rifle came off her shoulder. Kirika had only a moment's notice before Cecilia's wings broke apart. The metallic shards resolved themselves into four pods that zipped away and approached Kirika from different directions.

"Oh shit," Kirika breathed as each pod fired off multiple sapphire beams at her. Thrown instantly on the defensive, she watched her HUD as each failed dodge brought her closer to defeat. **[Shield power: 541. 508. 493.]** Fully defensive, Kirika dove for the ground to buy herself a moment's respite from the onslaught.

Recalling the BITs to her, Cecilia docked them as she raised her rifle again. "You won't get away that easily GREASE MONKEY!" Beam after beam lashed out at the weaving Revive. Most shots went wide, making craters in the ground or getting dissipated on the arena's shields. The few hits that landed tore chunks out of Kirika's shield energy. Cecilia launched her BITs a second time, watching in joy as the pods flew straight on target.

_Damn, she's really good,_ Kirika thought as the BITs started to circle her again. _I might be in a world of trouble._ A lucky shot hit the Revive as Kirika lined up a pod in her sights. Spinning from the impact, her trigger finger remained tight as the gun went off track. Kirika fought to stabilize the IS, vaguely noting the stream of tracers fly straight at Cecilia. A tiny of part of her brain observed as the Briton made no effort to evade as rounds deflected off the shields of her IS. **[Rounds: 11]**.

"RELOAD," Kirika screamed as she grabbed at the rifle's securing straps. The submachine gun disappeared in a flash as the long gun came up to her shoulder. Throwing herself into a series rapid turns, Kirika watched her HUD carefully as she monitored her shield display. A reloaded submachine gun materialized next to her waiting hand as another turn set her to skim along the arena perimeter. Kirika caught a flash of both her friends' pent up faces: Houki's sapphire blue eyes down to the narrowest of slits while frustration shone bright, Charlotte's lips almost the same color as her skin from pressing so hard together.

Seeing her roommate's expression jogged a memory in the combatant. _"The biggest problem you have roomie," Houki said as she wiped sweat off her forhead after the first lesson, "is that you're reacting to me. It's understandable, but it's also unforgivable. If you are always reacting to your opponent and they have more skill than you, you will never win. If you want to beat someone, you need to get them to react to you instead."_

Pushing her IS faster, Kirika thought furiously as she dodged another wave of bolts from the BITs. _I've been on the defensive ever since the fight started,_ she concluded with a start. _Granted, I talked tough, but I think deep down I have been intimidated by Cecilia. That's got to end. But how can I get her to react to me?_ A spark of inspiration came to Kirika as the BITs started to swoop in again. "You know, you surprise me Cecilia," she taunted over the common channel, voice dripping contempt. "All that big talk about your _superior_ skills and you haven't won yet. I mean, I figured you could hit anything with that rifle, but one single Revive is just beyond you."

"WHAT?!" Cecilia roared, her voice tight with indignation. Kirika watched the BIT in front of her waver for a moment; the mechnical device shaking as it mirrored the state of it's pilot. None of the expected shots rang out from the BITs for a long heartbeat that turned into three. Then five beats.

Kirika kept expecting the BITs to resume their assault, but was surprised when they instead returned to their docking stations on Cecilia's IS. The redhead's mind went into overdrive trying to analyze what Cecilia was doing as she threw herself into a hard turn, shifting just in time to avoid an azure bolt. _What just happened here? What am I missing?_

—*—

Watching from the front row of the arena, Houki and Charlotte kept their eyes on their friend as Kirika kept her IS moving. A thin trickle of blood ran down the edge of Charlotte's chin from a cut on her lip; the corner of the blond's mouth still dripped fresh crimson. Houki's knuckles were white against red in a stark contrast; the raven haired girl's face locked in a scowl. Glancing away from the combatants, blue eyes met amethyst ones as both girls silently shared their concerns.

"Well," Houki said, breaking the silence first. "We did our best, but the odds against her winning were incredibly long."

"Oui," Charlotte agreed in a voice barely above a whisper.

Houki turned back to the arena as more shots rang out. "Kirika did good, but she's just outclassed by that personal usage machine. There's not anything she can do to win."

"Non," Charlotte muttered, her voice gaining volume. Her forehead wrinkled as butter blond eyebrows drifted down in thought. "Zhere iz a way."

—*—

An idea popped into Kirika's head as she wove through another barrage of beams from Cecilia's rifle. _I hope I'm right about this or it's all over,_ Kirika told herself as she gripped both guns tightly. Throwing herself into a climb, the redhead came to a hover above Cecilia. "You might as well use those pods again, Cecilia. You've shown how poor a shot you are with the rifle. At least their quantity means you can get SOME hits."

Her lips split into a feral grin as Cecilia brought her rifle down from her shoulder. "It's not often that a loser can choose her method of defeat, but as a superior pilot I will oblige you." The BITs launched from their docking ports and proceeded to swarm again.

Another memory tugged at Kirika's consciousness. _"Contrary to what a person will tell you," Houki stated during a break between Kirika's beatings, "there is no such things a a 'perfect' attack. Every attack has a weakness, and every attacker has a weakness. The best fighters in the world are the ones who know what their own weakness is and have a plan to marginalize the effects. But you also have to figure out what the weakness of your opponent is, and then exploit it. Normally that kind of skill takes years to develop. We've only got a week."_

Judging the motions of the BITs, Kirika flew a tight circle that kept Cecilia in line. _NOW!_ "You know, I can see now why you wear that long skirt in the classroom," she screamed, taunting the Briton. "If I had those wide hips, thunder thighs and a huge ass, I'd want to cover up too! Baby got back!"

Cecilia's face flushed red with rage as her mouth started to open and present a rebuttal about her physique. At the same time, the BITs stopped in mid-air and hovered, trembling visibly as they echoed their pilot's mental state. Taking advantage of the pause, Kirika struck out with everything she had: the missiles on her left shoulder volleyed out at her blond opponent and both guns came up and sprayed out bullets, seeking out the motionless BITs. The eight-centimeter rockets flew straight and fast as Cecilia had a warning flash on her HUD. Caught between the various attacks, Cecilia froze up for a split second.

The moment's pause almost cost the Briton the match. All seven rockets slammed home, decimating the shield of Blue Tears to the accompaniment of small explosions. Thrown backwards from the volley, Cecilia tucked her body tight and turned the force into a backwards roll. She carried the motion twice before sliding into a stop along the ground. Blue eyes hardened by rage glanced at her HUD worriedly. **[Shield energy: 97.]**

Kirika's guns stopped firing as she saw her opponent regain control of the IS, visibly shaken at the savage assault. Three BITs had exploded when bullets found their intended targets. The fourth one was was lying crumpled on the arena's dirt floor, impersonating a crushed soda can. Cecilia engaged her PIC and kicked off the ground, floating up until she was eye level with her flame haired opponent. "Quite a good shot," Cecilia called out, her voice smug. "Better than I would have expected of a grease monkey. But Blue Tears has more than just the four BITs!"

Two more pods swung up over the blond's hips, tracking in line with Kirika. A pair of missiles, each one a meter long and fifteen centimeters wide, ripped out of their concealed launchers. Reacting purely on reflex, Kirika raised her guns the instant the missile pods came up. Squeezing both triggers, the redhead watched in horror as the submachine gun fired one bullet and clicked empty.

The rifle fired off bursts as fast as the gun could cycle. The first volley missed, but the second hit the trailing missile. Heavy rounds impacted with the warhead; causing a premature detonation and consuming the missile body completely. The lead missile escaped the fragments from its sibling's destruction, but was still knocked off course by the shockwave. Onboard computers made a course correction and slammed the weapon home against the Revive's shields.

Buffeted by the large explosion, Kirika felt the shockwave pass through the shield and slam into her. The Revive tumbled away uncontrollably, rolling end over end. Kirika fought to regain her bearings, to figure out her orientation as the world spun around her. The information did her little help as the right pauldron of the Revive slammed into something unforgiving, with Kirika's body following into the pauldron itself. Pain flashed through the redhead's brain as her right arm compressed in its socket.

Kirika ran her left hand across her breasts to press against the pauldron. Pushing off and engaging her thrusters, the redhead turned slowly to face Cecilia as emerald eyes scanned her HUD. **[Shield energy: 88. Rifle ammo: 4. SMG ammo: 0. Rifle barrel warped from collison, replacement recommended.]**

Cecilia's eyes widened marginally as her opponent flew back up to the same level. "You're still willing to fight?" The Briton raised her rifle to a shoulder and lowered her cheek to the stock. The Revive looked frail in the sights from the big scope. A single finger came off the rifle body to rest on the trigger. "You have fought valiantly, but ultimately you have failed. One more shot and your shields fail, giving me the victory." The hand holding the grip started to squeeze, bringing pressure on the trigger. "Now learn your place, grease monkey."

The trigger snapped with a loud click and nothing happened.

Both girls startled at the sudden silence. Cecilia took her eyes off Kirika to look at Blue Tears' HUD. **[Power level critical. Blue Pierce offline. Optical drones offline. Missles: 0. Recharge immediately.]** "No no no!" she screamed, her voice rising in desperation. Panicked fingers kept pulling the trigger in a vain attempt to get off one last attack. "I will not lose to you!"

Kirika watched the blond teen try to shoot in frustration only to have the effort wasted. "It's sad to see a person break down," she muttered, more to herself than an actual observation. The radio still transmitted the words to Cecilia, who focused on the insult. Blue eyes watched intently as the Revive pilot tossed her guns away to land on the hard packed dirt. Kirika felt the weight of Cecilia's eyes on her as she reached down to pull a combat knife from the sheathe on the left leg. The knife came up into a comfortable dagger grip, the single gleaming edge resting away from the forearm brace. "I could just reload my guns and blow you away," she started, "but that doesn't feel right. I want to be in your face when I see you accept your defeat."

Nodding once at the words, Cecilia felt her control start to rebound. "Yes, I have to agree with you on that regard." Dismissing her Blue Pierce, the blond teen summoned her Interceptor blade. The hilt arrived in her right hand with a flash of light; upon contacting Cecilia's gauntlet a blue-white energy blade appeared with a muted snap-hiss. Ignoring the alarms on her HUD, she whipped the blade to a fencer's salute and placed it to a conservative guard. "Although I am loathe to resort to such tactics, I am not without my options. Take this!"

Igniting her thrusters, Cecilia whipped forward in a jet powered lunge, the tip of the blade straight at the redhead's heart. Kirika fought to push aside the pain in her shoulder as the Briton leapt towards her. _Only one chance at this,_ she thought as the distance closed, _so I have to get it right the first time!_

Cecilia got into range and screamed in triumph as the blade lanced out. Kirika twisted her body to the left, placing both shoulder pauldrons into a line and creating a physical wall between the two IS. Interceptor's blade caressed the Revive's wings: armor melted and ran under the beam's hellish energies. Continuing her roll, Kirika shifted her weight to the left thruster and pirouetted, letting the momentum swing the pain-numbed arm up.

_Don't explode dontexplodedontexplodedontexplode_ rang through Kirika's mind as her wrist rolled down and activated a single trigger. On the forearm brace above the redhead's wrist, the bulge popped open. Twin curved blades, nearly three-quarters of a meter long, snapped out from their enclosure and locked into place past the Revive's gauntlet. Upon hitting their deployed position, capacitors charged up and ran current along the outside curvature.

Cecilia, intent on winning, realized the threat too late. The twin blades cried out a banshee's wail as they sliced through the air. Kirika put everything she had in her strike, a wordless scream punctuating her thrust. Impacting on Blue Tears' shield, the claws created a rainbow of sparks as conflicting forces collided. Cecilia watched her HUD update itself and felt tears form in her eyes: **[Shield energy: 0. Unshielded.]**

A loud horn blared through the arena as both girls separated in anticipation of their next attack. **"The match is over!"** Chifuyu Orimura's voice came on the radio to both students. **"The winner of the match is Kirika Nakano. Both of you did well, regardless of the outcome. Nakano, I want to see you after you get out of your IS."**

Turning away, Kirika started to fly back towards the prep bay only to be stopped when Cecilia interposed herself. Though covered in dirt and sweat, clear tracks ran down her cheeks. The Briton's blue eyes were red from crying, but still contained a rage derived hardness as they glared at the shorter teen. "You—you cheated! Those claws aren't standard to a Revive, and are illegal equipment."

Raising her right hand carefully, Kirika dropped her eyes down to the still-extended blades. Smoke drifted lazily out from the framework and the acrid smell of burnt wiring reached her nose. "Cecilia," the redhead started, voice utterly calm despite the growing panic in her mind, "you never wanted a fair fight. You wanted an IS battle to prove your skills. And to humiliate me a bit I'd wager."

"That's—not true..." the Briton stammered, growing nervous as the shorter girl refused to look at her.

Hazel eyes drifted up to look from under crimson brows. "It's almost certainly true. Whether or not you can be true about it with yourself is something only time will tell. But let me tell you something here and now." Kirika's voice had a small hint of pride as she continued to gaze at her defeated opponent. "You kept calling me 'grease monkey' like it was some sort of insult.

"I don't deny that I'm a grease monkey. Building something, fixing what's wrong, making a machine perform beyond all limits gets me excited in a way I can't describe. I've been doing with stuff like this for nearly a decade." Kirika tilted her head up to look directly at Cecilia now, her hazel gaze boring into the taller girl. "And let's face it, being a 'grease monkey' like that let me build exactly what I needed: a victory against you. IF you want to complain, go ahead. I was told by the Assistant Director of the Academy and Orimura-sensei that it was acceptable to use these claws. Complain to your heart's content. But I suspect it will just prove what I said about you."

Cutting in her thrusters, the new class representative sideslipped past Cecilia, leaving a confused opponent floating in her wake.

—*—

_The water is the perfect temperature_ , Kirika thought as she lowered herself into the dorm's bath. A shiver ran through her as the water climbed up over stiff and sore muscles. Leaning back into a comfortable position, the new class representative let her hazel eyes close. Muted conversations picked up as Kirika felt her heart slow its pace. Taking controlled, regular breaths, the redhead felt her exhaustion seep out into the humid air.

Ripples splashing gently on soft skin broke the tranquility. Opening one eye, Kirika peered through her eyelashes to see her friends moving in close. Houki held her towel near her chest, sapphire eyes nervously glancing around the room. Charlotte's amethyst eyes stayed focused on Kirika as one hand kept the towel on her butter blond hair steady. Warmth radiated off the French teen, but worry was clear on her face.

Motioning for both girls to join her, Kirika opened both eyes and raised her head. Charlotte sat high on the bath's edge; Houki placed her towel on her head and hunched over in the water. "How are you feeling roomie?"

Kirika canted her head to the side. "Completely punked out. It's a good you two are here. I might fall asleep and drown in the tub if I was unattended."

"We'll make sure zhat does not happen, ma ami," Charlotte stated assuredly. "It would make us rather poor friends."

"And it would be a waste of good talent," a new voice commented, startling all three girls. Kirika looked up over Charlotte's shoulder to see the newcomer looming close. A slender hand held her towel in a manner that accentuated generous curves. Damp sky blue hair hung in cow-licked waves around an oval face while blood red eyes shone impishly above a fan with the kanji for "audacity". "This onee-chan was most impressed with your fight." The newcomer turned away and snapped her fan shut with an audible click. "It will be interesting to see where you go from here."

All three first year students watched the girl walk the edge of the room in silence. After the stranger exited the bath hall, they traded a confused look. "Does anyone know," Houki asked, finally breaking the silence, "who that was?"

"Non," Charlotte said as Kirika just shook her head once. Houki's eyes darted around the room quickly in a cursory sweep; finding no one the tension in her shoulders dissipated some. Dark hair drifted close to the water's edge as Houki's body hunched over further.

After a long pause enjoying their soak, Charlotte draped one hand on the shorter girl. "Zhat was quite a fight you had today, Kirika. I must admit zhat even zhough you said you could win, I had my doubts."

Houki pulled herself straighter and nodded enthusiastically. "It was a damn fine match. She might be a classmate, but I was happy to hear Cecilia lost just based on her attitude. That girl is too stuck up for my tastes."

"Well, don't go too hard on her," Kirika admonished lightly as a sly grin broke her lips. "Her stuck up bitchiness helped me win."

"That attitude and a few well placed words," agreed Houki with a wink.

Shrugging at the comment, Kirika felt a little warmth trickle into her stomach. "What can I say? Shooting off my guns wasn't working as well as I was hoping for in that fight, so I had to settle for shooting off my mouth. Honestly, it was more natural for me that way. The wisdom of my ass is legendary." The redhead's voice grew sober as all joviality left it. "Really, I'm about as lucky as can be for that fight. Cecilia's a hell of a competitor, but I managed to luck into the flaw of Blue Tears."

"Which is...?" Houki prompted in a conspiratorial tone.

The response came from Charlotte, though. "Almost all energy based weapons. An IS has limited power supplies and zhose types of weapons eat power voraciously. Kirika did not win as she just outlasted Cecilia."

Kirika nodded at the explanation. "There's something else too. The first time Cecilia used those weapon pods—"

"BITs," Charlotte supplied helpfully.

"Right, the BITs against me," Kirika amended, "one of her attacks threw my aim off. I ended up spraying bullets at her, and some small part of me latched onto the fact she didn't avoid my attack. When I insulted Cecilia later, the BIT had me dead to rights and didn't fire. The only conclusion I came up with was that she had to focus on using those BITs, and when I goosed her like that they couldn't fire. Then it was just gambling on making an insult big enough to buy me a couple of seconds to attack."

Both taller girls appraised Kirika with new eyes. "Not bad," Houki conceded begrudgingly.

Charlotte nodded at Houki in agreement. "And to zhink, you did all zhat mid-fight. But tell me, where did you get zhat last," she paused to gesture the shape with her left hand on right arm, "weapon you used? I have never zeen it before."

Kirika closed her eyes for a minute and debated her answer. "I have a few friends back in Tokyo, couple of real engineer types. They boasted once they could build anything a person can conceive. After my first training flight, I had the idea for the claws and asked them to build it for me. They got it done and delivered it to me on Friday." Opening her eyes now, she looked both girls straight on. "I was advised not to use them though, because all the prototypes had exploded when deployed."

Shock spread across the two teens' faces rapidly. "And if it had exploded?" Houki asked in a near whisper.

"You'd be visiting me in the school infirmary and I'd probably be called 'stumpy' from here on." Kirika admitted with a shrug. "Near thing though, one of the capacitors shorted out right after I finished the fight. When Pickett-sama and I pulled it off the Revive's arm, it was a solid mess."

Horror overcame the two taller girls as they gaped at Kirika with open mouths. Feeling a little awkward in the ensuing silence, the shorter teen broke the tension with a lopsided grin. "Hey, if I wasn't willing to put everything on the line to win, why fight anyway?"

The comment had its desired intent, and all three teens started a quiet forced laugh among all the chatter of the bath hall. The laughter faded after a moment, leaving all three grinning foolishly between themselves. "Kirika, je voudrais vous poser une question si vous me le permettez," Charlotte said, seeing the two Japanese girls blink at her statement. "Zorry. If I might ask you a question, Kirika?"

"You just did." Kirika replied smoothly, covering a twinge of uneasiness. "But I'll give you another."

Charlotte smiled brightly at the joke, the gesture natural on her face. "When we first met, you said you..." the French teen drifted off as she struggled to remember the words. "Ah. 'Doubted you would be allowed to be a rep with your history'. And you told Cecilia zhat you had beaten an instructor during your entry exam. But I did not find any mention of a Japanese student in zhis class who beat zheir testing instructor. So my question is, what history did you allude to?"

Kirika felt her eyes go wide and lose focus at the simply stated question. Charlotte flinched as the shorter teen's face conflicted between shame and pain. Houki laid a strong hand on her roommate's shoulder, sliding in closer to keep the room from seeing the redhead's reaction.

Panting heavily for a moment, Kirika finally reached up and laid her own hand upon Houki's. Hazel eyes blinked hard and then returned to normal, tracking around the room once before settling again on her friends.

"Sorry about that," Kirika muttered by way of apology. Charlotte and Houki waved off the statement as their concern grew about their classmate. Looking around again, the redhead failed to find anyone close enough to overhear in the noisy hall.

"I guess I could tell you two what happened, but you have to give me your word that you won't talk about it with anyone. It was a big enough flap that it might get me thrown out of the Academy for talking," Kirika paused to meet both girls' eyes. Houki nodded once solemnly, Charlotte hesitated for a moment before nodding her own acceptance. Dropping her voice, the redhead began her story. "The short version of the story is I wasn't supposed to attend the Academy.

"The entrance exams for the Infinite Stratos Academy were coming up. I hadn't intended to take them, but a bunch of my classmates wanted to, and I got roped into going with them. I figured 'What the hell, why not?'. We get there and my friend Ryou-chan challenges me to take the Maintenance Branch tests. Not that I had any reason to even enter the Academy, I just wanted to make sure a couple of my more...directionally challenged classmates got there safe." Kirika paused in her story and caught the grin on both of her friends. "Anyway, I'm not one to back down from any challenge, least of all from a friend of mine. So I go in with the rest of them.

"I get through the paperwork and go do the written part of the exam. It doesn't seem that hard to me, but I've always been good with machines. They take my written test and start walking me out when my escort gets paged. Tells me to wait where I was, blah blah blah. I've got this great record of dealing with authority figures. All of it bad usually. So I start wandering around the area, find one of the test Uchiganes. Apparently it had been giving them problems and wasn't being used for the tests. I pop open a panel and start tinkering around. Add in a shower of sparks and the IS starts to float off the ground."

As Kirika paused to catch her breath, she took a close look at her friends. Both girls sat entranced by the story, leaning forward to match Kirika's conspiratorial tones. "So I do what any sensible, hormone driven teenager does: I make an ill-thought decision to get into the now powered Uchigane. My escort comes back about then to find me as I'm just getting settled. She freaks out, screams a lot and makes some threats. The Uchigane starts to move with me, making it impossible to get out. Seems I had screwed up some of the control systems when I had tinkered with it. She gets into her own Uchigane and charges at me.

"We collide hard, but because I wasn't able to stay level she skims off me and heads to the wall. I ricochet away and fly, if you want to call it flying, into the temporary arena they had set up. There's a second teacher there, waiting for her next opponent. When I come barging into the arena, she assumes it's me and tosses me the sword they were using for the exams. The testing teacher engages me as the first teacher comes through the door. Lot of screaming ensues.

"The tester gets a couple of good hits on me before my escort screams about how I'm not a candidate. That buys me a handful of seconds as the situation starts to become clear. Swords really aren't my thing," Kirika commented, earning a grin from Houki, "so I take it and break it in half over my knee. I at least understand knives more than I do a sword.

"After the two teachers figure out what's going on, I push the Uchigane into a single charge. Use the left shard to deflect the tester's sword, corner her and just start wailing with the right. Her shield fails, they declare me the winner and override the Uchigane."

Hazel eyes closed, lost in thought. "Since I wasn't an officially recognized candidate, they had to run the full background check. They find out I've had a few...run-ins with the law. One of my ex-boyfriends got caught up in something, and I was picked up as part of it. And there was a charge of assault when I defended a friend on a train. She was getting molested by some perv, so I might have broken his hands. And his balls. The charges were never prosecuted, but they were still in the system."

Opening her eyes, Kirika saw both faces near her go pale. "Anyway, I get turned over to the courts because they think I was trying to steal the Uchigane. I'm taken before the judge in full shackles, only a handful of people are there. My folks, the judge, both sets of attorneys. The judge is a real hard-ass," a wry grin broke thin lips, "and did I mention I have problems with authority figures? The judge says 'You are nothing more than a yakuza wannabe who has brought shame onto your parents, teens like you are the bottom-feeding scum who corrupt the culture of our great nation, blah blah blah. Despite your protestations of innocence, there is evidence of your guilt. You are proven guilty and will spend the next ten years in prison for your crime.'

"As those words start sinking home, a new voice calls out from behind us. A new woman in a nice suit walks through the doors. 'I'm Aki Tetsuhara from the IS Academy. We've come to offer Kirika Nakano a spot in the next class.' The judge freaks out and they all disappear for a few minutes while I sit there under the glare of my parents. Finally they come back and the judge says 'Kirika Nakano, you have your choice of punishments. You can do ten years in prison for your crime, or you can attend the IS Academy for the full course. But if you fail to complete the full course at the Academy, you will do your time in prison.'"

Feeling the weight of her past start to leave her, Kirika watched her friends for any reaction. Charlotte's face had a hint of horror; Houki had a stoically closed expression. "That's my story. It was come here or go to prison. Orimura-sensei probably knows some of the details. But I'm certain you two are the only students who know." Kirika's eyes drifted upward in thought. "Although if I had any idea the Academy would be the sort of madhouse it seems to be, I might have chosen to go to prison. Would probably have been safer."

The two taller teens blinked hard at the joke before Kirika started to chuckle. Joining in slowly, the three shared a hearty laugh until tears ran down their collective faces. The sound of happy laughter rang clearly through the entire bath.

—*—

Houki followed Kirika into their shared room, keeping a watchful eye on her exhausted companion. The tall teen grabbed up a brush and sat on the edge of her bed. Pulling the restraining ribbon out of her black hair, Houki ran the brush through damp strands as sapphire eyes drifted to watch her roommate in the mirror. "You know," she said in a prosaic tone, "you surprise me a bit Rika."

Looking up from her dresser, Kirika glanced into the mirror to watch Houki's actions. "How's that?"

"Well, given your history I would have thought you would have not picked a fight with Cecilia. You could have gotten kicked out for it."

Kirika pulled her head through the shirt and let it rest on her shoulders. "Well," she started, turning to face her roommate, "I did mention I have this problem with authority figures. Cecilia, in all her arrogance came off as 'better than you' which I guess I relate to authority. As for the rest of it, part of that is the fact that I tend to think after I act." The redhead flashed a wry grin at Houki. "And let's face it, there is just SOME shit you can't put up with, regardless of the situation."

Houki chuckled at the comment as Kirika climbed onto the bed behind her. Snatching the brush away, the shorter girl worked through the black hair with ease. Houki felt herself relax into the strokes, letting her eyes drift half closed as her roommate went though practiced motions.

Nearly two dozen strokes of the brush later, the raven haired teen felt herself growing calmer. "It took you a while to get out of your IS," she commented idly. "Everything okay?"

The brush slowed in its continuing path. "Yeah. I just wanted to take a look at the claws then and there. And Orimura-sensei wanted to talk to me as soon as I was out."

Houki's shoulders tensed up under calloused fingers. "Oh."

"Yeah, seems she had a plan," Kirika continued, letting the brush come to a stop. "Apparently, she had a bet going that IF I won, the Academy would assign me an Uchigane and that I could customize it. So I guess you and Charlotte are going to be teaching me a bit more as we go."

Flashing a quick grin in the mirror, Houki relaxed again. The edge of the silk kimono opened and drifted down to one elbow without her knowledge. Rika's eyes drifted down the exposed skin for a moment then fixed themselves back on her roommate's hair. "So Houki, can I ask you something?"

Without opening her eyes, the raven hair girl grunted her assent. Taking care to keep the brush loose, Rika worked up the best way to ask what was on her mind. "What's going on with you and Orimura-sensei?"

Jerking her eyes open, Houki rose away from her roommate and fixed her kimono. The brush landed on the carpeted floor with a dull thump. Her heart racing, the raven haired girl stared warily on the shorter teen. "What—what do you mean? There's nothing going on with me and her. Nothing!"

Making a non-committal sound, Kirika just watched carefully as her roommate started to pace. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks," she finally quipped.

"What?" Houki blurted, turning to face her roommate at the quote. Breathing hard, she finally sat on the edge of the bed again. "Okay, you told me something that could get you in trouble. I guess I could share this secret. But it has to stay between us or I could get into a lot more difficulties than you would."

Kirika nodded once as she felt her throat tighten up. The raven-haired girl leaned in close and continued in a whisper. "Orimura-sensei and I have a bit of a history. She trained at my family's kendo school, and she's been friends with my sister forever."

Eyes widening at the information, Kirika's face clouded up in confusion as Houki continued. "But there's more than that. Orimura-sensei had a younger brother...his name was Ichika." The taller teen stumbled on the name, her tongue growing seemingly thick as her voice faded. Tears welled up around suddenly bloodshot sapphire eyes. "He was my best friend. Maybe my only real friend. Four years ago, he got kidnapped because of her winning the Mondo Grosso. She went to rescue him, and Ichika got killed because of it."

Kirika reached out to hold her roommate only to have Houki wave away the gesture. "I spent four years of my life set on the goal of avenging him." Rolling one hand up revealed a small scar on her palm. "I swore it by my blood. And then, two months ago, on the anniversary of his death, I found Orimura-sensei and attacked her."

Houki watched as the redhead's mouth gaped open at the statement. Nodding once to confirm her memory, the raven-haired girl continued. "I had my opportunity and a sword. I attacked Orimura-sensei with the intention of killing her. Drew blood and had her life in my hand. Then my sister showed up and Orimura-sensei ended up beating me severely." Opening the kimono, one hand skimmed under Houki's firm breasts. "Ended up cracking three ribs, fractured my collarbone, cut me up pretty well. I suspect if I get a tan you'll see the scars.

"My sister got involved then, patched me and Orimura-sensei up. Showed me a video of what actually happened." Tears still ran down her cheeks as Houki recalled watching the death of her friend. "I'm not sure I believe what I saw, but it seems possible. And neither Orimura-sensei or my sister made a complaint to the police. But there's still some part of me that wants to hurt Orimura-sensei, to feel her blood on my hands as I watch the life fade from her eyes. I guess that makes me a bad person."

Pulling her roommate close, Kirika wrapped her arms around the taller girl. Houki sniffled for a little, not quite crying, but not controlled. "It doesn't make you a bad person, Shinonono-chan."

One hand reached up to pat Houki's head as she cried onto her roommate's shoulder. "It just makes you a person."

(-+-)

A sharp blow snapped Cecilia out of her fitful sleep. Opening her mouth to scream reflexively, a cloth was shoved in past her lips to silence the scream before it started. Belatedly she realized it was her hairband as blue eyes started to focus on the room.

Cecilia immediately recognized the room by the soft reading light. The elegant four post bed was her own, the gauzy curtains giving it a refined look. Expensive furnishings normally added taste and refinement to the drab school decor. Now those things appeared to belong to someone else, an outsider's idea of elegance.

One hand tried to remove the gag only to stop instantly. Azure eyes grew in horror as Cecilia realized her hand was tied to the bedpost. Scanning herself frantically, she found herself spread eagled, each limb was secured tightly to the nearest post. _That's enough of this!_ She thought in outrage and summoned Blue Tears.

Nothing happened.

The lack of response from her IS sent a new surge of adrenaline coursing in Cecilia's veins, dispelling the last vestiges of sleep. Memories flashed through a newly awakened mind. Losing the fight to Kirika. Talking to her country about the damage to Blue Tears and the loss. Being stripped of her Representative Candidate title. _"The English people need a proper champion, not an incompetent who loses to a novice in an outdated IS,"_ her superior officer had told Cecilia, watching the teen break down into tears. _"You may complete your time at the ISA, but when you return to England, you will do so in shame and receive no further support from the government."_

Finally crying herself to sleep while her maid Chelsea tried in vain to console her.

The sound of her struggles made the bed squeak loudly. A shadow drifted across Cecilia's vision. Azure eyes focused in on the sight of her tormentor as a dull throbbing settled into her burning cheek. Kirika Nakano stood next to the bed, thin lips pulled back into a wicked grin. The Japanese teen was wearing a dark kimono which pulled tight against her body as she sat on the edge of the bed closest to Cecilia.

"Finally awake?" She purred slowly, her voice sinfully smooth. "You've got a hard head. I might have broken a nail getting you to wake up." One hand flopped back and forth loosely as the other started to skim along Cecilia's nightgown. "Nice...very nice."

Calloused fingertips grazed the fine fabric, barely touching the skin underneath. Cecilia glared at the Japanese teen for a moment and started to yell her outrage through the improvised gag. Hazel eyes lit up brightly as they traveled Cecilia's bound figure. "A friend of mine back home told me something once. He said 'Kirika-chan, there are two ways to really know a person: you can fight them.' Which we've done. 'Or you can fuck them.'" Kirika's voice paused as the redhead leaned up next to Cecilia's head. "Which we're ABOUT to do."

Cecilia thrashed about violently in an attempt to injure her tormentor. Kirika snapped upright, barely avoiding the Briton's attack. The grin on her face grew into a twisted smile. "Oooo...such a fine spirit. This is going to be fun."

Wrapping both hands against Cecilia's head, Kirika leaned forward and kissed the Briton on the forehead. A delicate tongue snaked out to run along the inside edge of Cecilia's ear causing the blond to shiver at the action. The Japanese girl took Cecilia's earlobe between her lips and teased it playfully before moving to the slender neck. Soft lips grazed along the throbbing carotid, delivering feathery kisses as Kirika drifted down and planted a long caress in the crook of Cecilia's neck.

Shivering a second time, Cecilia felt gooseflesh rise along her exposed skin as electric tingles danced through her nerves. _I've never felt anything like this,_ the blond admitted to herself. _There was that required class in school, my own explorations and even that one time with Chelsea, but it didn't feel this good!_ A shift of pressure on her waist broke Cecilia's monologue and drew her attention to the redhead. Kirika shifted her weight again and got into a more comfortable position. Her hazel eyes shone with something that Cecilia couldn't place. "Ceci-chan," Kirika purred softly, "you are wearing too many clothes."

_That's a good sign,_ Cecilia thought in a flash of hope. _If she wants to get my clothes off, she'll have to untie my arm and I can use that chance to escape._ Drawing on past modeling experiences, Cecilia tried to set her face into what she believed was an alluring expression. Seeing the pleased reaction on the her tormentor's face, Cecilia felt her hope grow brighter in her chest.

That blossoming hope died instantly as the Japanese girl reached inside her kimono and produced a small folding knife. Snapping it open with a quick motion of her thumb, Kirika presented the weapon to her prisoner. The blade was four inches long and had a vicious looking back curve that ended near a slight protrusion at the tip. Reversing the blade deftly, the Japanese girl hooked the back curve on the neckline of Cecilia's nightgown and started to pull.

The nightgown resisted for a moment and then Cecilia watched in horror as it started to rip. Blue eyes tracked the edge in fear as the knife went down, opening the gown from neck to navel. _That was from my favorite!_ Cecilia raged mentally. The Briton felt her fear return as the cold metal slid between the tear to brush the delicate skin between her breasts.

Kirika pulled the knife back, catching the left side of the ruined nightgown to expose a pale tit topped by a puffy pink nipple. The redhead smiled appreciatively as she bent over to kiss the new offering. Cecilia shivered in excitement as Kirika's lips touched the top of her breast. Hazel eyes glanced up to see the taller girl's face go slack from the sensations present. A knowing grin broke past thin lips as the redhead continued to caress the breast, leaving a series of wet kisses circling the sensitive tip.

The Japanese teen blew a short puff onto Cecilia's pink nipple, earning a hitched breath from the tied teen. "Oh, are your nipples sensitive Ceci-chan?" Kirika asked playfully. "Let's see what you think of this..." she muttered as her head came down. Her lips grazed the tip of the slightly flattened mound, then Kirika opened her mouth to take the entire nipple inside. Cecilia gasped loudly, the sound strong enough to reach the redhead through the gag. Emboldened, Kirika worked on the Briton's breast, circling her tongue along the edges of the nipple before flicking the tip with the flat.

Cecilia's eyes closed as she felt her body start to sing from the touch. The nipple crinkled and swelled in the Japanese teen's hot mouth as she continued to tease it. A twitch of horror crossed Cecilia's mind as she felt fluid trickle from her most intimate parts. _What is going on here? I haven't wet my bed since I was two, and why now of all times?_

A free hand pulled the nightgown away from the right side, exposing all of Cecilia's body to the shorter girl's gaze. The same hand gently groped the newly uncovered breast, squeezing the fleshy globe before calloused fingers started to rub against the sensitive bud on top. Cecilia felt her body flush with heat and started to pant through the gag, tugging slightly at her restraints.

Kirika looked up from her ministrations to see blue eyes glaze over and fair skin flush crimson. "That's just adorable, Ceci-chan." Rising up slightly, the Japanese teen pulled at the knot of her sash. Cecilia felt her eyes drift along the body of the Japanese teen kneeling over her bound form. The black kimono fell open with a rustle of silk. Underneath it Kirika was wearing a modified corset. The cups at top had been removed, leaving breasts exposed but still supported. No panties were visible, but a thin strip of coppery red hair against ivory skin got Cecilia's attention.

Leaning forward, the Japanese teen let her firm breasts rub against Cecilia's larger ones. Moaning loudly through the gag, blue eyes drifted shut as Kirika slowly began working the nipples back and forth against each other in circular motions. A tension starting building in the Briton, a fire made of equal parts need and outrage.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kirika sat up quickly. Cecilia's eyes snapped open at the change; blue eyes retaining their glazed look as a slight trickle of drool ran down her chin. The blond teen's breath came in rapid pants through her nose. Crawling on her knees, Kirika turned away from her bound classmate. "Now, let's see what else you've got here, Ceci-chan!"

The Japanese girl held up the folding knife between two fingers and Cecilia felt her heart pound in her chest. As the weapon became obscured by the shorter teen's body the blond's pulse raced. Imagination running wild, Cecilia heard her pulse scream in her ears. _What is she going to do with that knife?_ Horrible visions danced in her mind as the blond girl felt the prick of the knife on her right hip. The cold steel barely caressed Cecilia's skin, the sharp edge rubbing hard enough to leave a mark without breaking the soft surface.

Panic rose in Cecilia's mind as her stomach collapsed on itself, pushing burning bile up her throat. The folding knife slid away from her hip, catching the side of her silk panties deftly. Designer fabric was no match for the keen edge as the narrow cloth snapped without a sound. Rage flared again in the trapped teen, but even as she started to cry out against her gag the knife cut through the left side off her panties. Firm pressure was applied against Cecilia's pelvis as the useless garment was snatched away, ripping away accidentally caught hair as well.

The pain of the ripped hairs caused the British teen to flinch involuntarily. Trying to come to terms with what happening, Cecilia felt the room's cool air on her most intimate area and shivered reflexively. For her part, Kirika chuckled lightly at the sight before her. "Oh my oh my," the redhead commented with a grin. "I would have expected something more from a _superior_ person like you. Not this barely trimmed mess." A finger came down to brush the thick mass of golden curls that ran just barely to the top of Cecilia's pelvis, but completely between both legs. Cecilia tensed when she felt the knife edge press against delicate skin before sliding a handful of millimeters and stopping. "But I must say, I enjoy finding out you're a natural blond and not some peroxide bimbo."

Cecilia glared at the back of her tormentor's head. _I am going to make you regret this for the rest of your miserable life, grease monkey!_ She vehemently vowed mentally. Eyes flicked between the ties on her headrest, trying to determine a way to get a hand free. Blue orbs grew wide when Cecilia felt a calloused finger rub against the outer fringe of her most private lips. A second finger rubbed up against the first, both digits running parallel to her skin without entering.

Thrashing her head and bucking her hips violently, Cecilia tried to stop what was happening. _No, not like this. I can't have this be my first time!_ One finger gently pushed past the tight lips, barely sinking to the first knuckle before stopping. Kirika glanced back over her shoulder to glance at the twitching British teen. "Oh ho!" she exclaimed, a half grin visible on the redhead's face. "No wonder you're such a stuck up bitch. But for all that, you're positively _drenched_. I bet a person could drown in that." Bending over further, one finger left its exploration to slowly rub against the rim of Cecilia's ass. "And you've got a tight ass to go with your asshole personality."

The finger sought entry past the rim of Cecilia's sphincter. Blue eyes flared wide and then winched in pain as the finger forced its way inside, penetrating into the British teen. Feeling the foreign intruder squirm and twitch made Cecilia start to convulse from equal parts pleasure and pain. Her mouth dropped open and she started to choke on the gag in an effort to scream. Cecilia saw spots start flicker in her vision as the gag worked its way down further into her throat. Blackness crept into the periphery of the image as a heavy burden sat on her chest. The hairband was pulled out partway, restoring air to tortured lungs.

"Ah ah ah," Kirika crooned quietly as she reseated the gag. "Don't go making too much noise. After all, you don't want your classmates to know you're a pervert who likes to be tied up. Or that you're too weak to defend yourself without your precious Blue Tears."

The thought of having the rest of the Academy learn about her weakness froze Cecilia in place. _The older students would gang up on me and make my life miserable. My fellow classmates would disrespect me. The teachers and staff would laugh behind my back, if not directly in my face._ Resolve hardening in the British teen's mind, she forced her body to relax and submit. _No, I can't let that happen, no matter the cost to me now!_

Kirika watched Cecilia closely, apparently reading the blond's mind as decisions were made. Seeing tension in the British teen's shoulders disappear, an indulgent smile crossed the redhead's face. "Good, good," Kirika murmured appreciatively as she bent down to kiss one of Cecilia's breasts. The British teen gasped as teeth grazed the tip of her nipple, then screamed into the gag as the teeth bit down hard. Panting rapidly, Cecilia reflexively lifted her hips to useless attempt to dislodge the shorter teen.

Feeling the Briton thrash under her, Kirika let herself roll with the motion and be thrown from the bed. Taking the fall smoothly, she raised herself up on her arms to glare from under crimson bangs. "That was rude, Ceci-chan. But I guess you're telling me it's time to get on with the good stuff."

Crawling to the bottom of the bed, the Japanese teen picked up a gym bag and dropped it between Cecilia's spread legs. The bed squeaked from the weight of the bag, eliciting a worried look from the British teen. A quick tug and the bag was open to the world while only shifting slightly on the bed.

"You see, Ceci-chan," Kirika purred as the indulgent smile grew wider, replaced by something almost sinful. "When I learned I was coming to an all-girls school for three years, I was not amused. I mean, I have appetites just like any one else. And they weren't going to be fed here by girls. Well, maybe not normal girls." Hazel eyes drifted away from the tied form to look in to the bag's depths. "So I made sure to bring along a few...friends to help make sure my time in this convent wasn't so boring."

Cecilia stared down her own body to watch the Japanese teen work. A dull thud came out of the bag, followed by an unfamiliar object. Flesh toned, it was cylindrical with a bulge at one end, and a number of asymmetrical bumps in alternating lines at the other. Both ends flopped and twitched in the redhead's clenched fist, giving an impression of size. The object called up a faint memory of a class in middle school. _That looks somewhat similar to pictures during those required health classes,_ Cecilia thought. _But I don't remember the pictures being that big!_

Kirika grinned down at the British teen, enjoying herself immensely. "This is something from America. Called the 'Superman', because it claims that 'like the comic book character, this will never leave a woman hanging'. And I can assure you, that claim wasn't made in vain." Dropping the toy onto the bed, Kirika reached back down into the bag again.

A shudder of disgust forced tremors through the blond as the toy came to rest against her calf. She barely had time to register the sensation before the Japanese teen brought out a second object from her bag. Charcoal black, the thickness of the new object made it hard for Kirika to wrap her fingers around it. The two ends hung out farther from the redhead's fist, drooping slightly with gravity. More asymmetrical bumps lined the body near the bulge, but the base was entirely different. Where the Superman was round with bumps, the new one had long protrusions almost like spikes. Cecilia felt her heart start to race at the sight.

"This," the Japanese teen started, "is something from here in Japan. Got it from a friend of mine when I told them about coming to the Academy. The closest translation of it's name would be 'heavenly satisifier of women in manly absence'. But my friend told me that the people who use it know it by another name, which is much easier to translate." The redhead paused, seemingly in thought as she grinned wickedly back down at Cecilia. "'Womb wrecker'. I was informed that anyone who uses this will never be satisfied by a man as long as she lives, but I haven't put that particular claim to the test. Yet."

Cecilia felt the blood drain from her face as a chill went through her entire body. Chuckling to herself at the joke, Kirika picked up both toys and placed them into the gym bag. The Briton felt a rekindled surge of hope as she watched hands move about the bag without bringing any new horrors out.

The Japanese teen glanced up from under her brows to see Cecilia's face lighten in hope. "And our last contestant of the night," she quipped, mirroring a popular game show host, "is something completely homegrown." Both arms tensed up as the shoulders heaved against the weight of the latest item. Azure eyes threatened to burst from Cecilia's head as they sought to understand what was held before her.

It had started its life as a lawn tool, probably a chainsaw. The hand grips were still there, but the cutting blade was missing. In it's place were both of the dildos, the pink one set above the black one. Both dildos were pointed directly at Cecilia. Kirika flashed a proud smile at the tied up Briton. "Something of my own design. Isn't it just the cutest? Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Just what exactly can a person do with a one-half horsepower, gasoline fueled, double headed personal gratification tool like THAT?' I'd tell you, but this is more of a hands on tutorial."

Kirika took her right hand off the grip and pulled on a string. The motor chugged once and failed to start. Frowning, the Japanese teen reset the string and pulled again. After the third attempt, the motor rumbled itself to life. The room seemed to shake from the vibration of the engine. Kirika twisted to her side to give a profile view to Cecilia. The British teen watched as both dildos jacked up and down, alternating their position almost perfectly. A single finger pulled at a recessed trigger, causing the engine to scream and the dildos to increase their tempo. "This," the redhead shouted over the sound of the tool, "ought to fix your little bitchiness problem."

The motor slowed as it was positioned between Cecilia's legs. Despair and horror collided inside the British teen's mind, even as she felt a flicker of desire. Blond hair thrashed wildly as eyes squeezed shut, trying to deny the situation she was in. Kirika laughed scornfully at the sight, keeping the motor slow to let herself be heard. "And a one, and a two, and a three!"

The sex toy released a leonine roar as it started forward to violate Cecilia.

(-+-)

Pain flared in Cecilia's face, bringing with it adrenaline fueled alertness. A shape hovered over her, the form indistinct in the darkened room. Operating entirely on reflex, the British representative balled her right fist and swung out as hard as she could.

Blue Tears, answering the call of its pilot, instantly engulfed the striking limb. The punch had force and weight, but the intruder leaned a hand against Cecilia's biceps and blocked the attack. Opening her gauntlet-encased hand, Cecilia tried to grab onto the head of her intruder. Metal-shod fingers grazed against soft hair even as a sound penetrated the thunder of blood rushing in Cecilia's ears.

"MILADY!"

The single word, hissed with urgency, caught Cecilia's attention. Tightening her arms, the British representative halted her blow as a dull reading light clicked on. Brunette hair, tied up for sleeping framed a face that was literally green. Pale blue eyes glanced worriedly from holes in the facial cream mask.

Cecilia looked upon the face for a long instant, comprehension evading her as the fragments of her dream floated in her vision. "I'm—alone?" she said hesitantly, trying to make sense of the situation.

Chelsea Blackett looked down at her employer and longtime friend. "Well, I'm here milady. But otherwise yes."

Taking note of the blued armor on her right hand, Cecilia regarded it with a curious look on her face. "I still have Blue Tears?"

Chelsea knelt down next to her employer's bed. Being a personal maid to Cecilia Alcott had been a challenge over the years, but not quite like this. "Yes ma'am, you do. Are you alright? I was getting worried when I couldn't wake you."

Dismissing Blue Tears, Cecilia let her hands roam her body. The nightgown was stuck to her skin but intact, her limbs free to move. She tried to ignore the pleasant sensations of the designer clothing against her erect nipples. "And there's been no one here but the two of us?"

Frowning at the question, Chelsea let her eyes drift across the younger woman's body. Blond hair was matted against the skull, and the sheets were bunched up around long legs. The mattress was soaked in places, most of them focused along the teen's waist. The pink cloth had turned diaphanous from contact with its owner. Chelsea could see and smell the sexual excitement on her friend. "Milady, there's been no one here all night," she murmured in a reassuring tone. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Flushing lightly, Cecilia focused on getting past her body's demands. "I—think so. It was just a bit of a bad dream."

The maid to the Alcott family felt a hint of a lie, but decided not to press the matter. "Well, you should try to get back to sleep if you can, milady." Chelsea admonished, her voice growing sweet as it teased her friend. "After all, if you don't get enough sleep you'll have wrinkles before you're twenty."

Cecilia grabbed one pillow and swatted at her maid. For her part, Chelsea let the pillow hit her and climbed back into bed. Flopping back into her bed, Cecilia snatched at her sheets and rolled over, hoping for sleep that could not be found.

* * *

A/N: I had hoped to have this posted much sooner, but life kept me too busy to polish it properly. I DID write out Cecilia's nightmare, but ultimately I couldn't make it work under the guidelines. Yeah, it's that sort of nightmare. Check it out at Adultfanfic if you want. I could use a Beta to help me stay within the guidelines and still get the full picture across. PM me if you are willing to volunteer, and we'll talk about it.

As usual, PLEASE review if you've read the story. It's essential to a good writing process to know what I'm doing right or wrong.

A/N 2: I decided to update the story with the lemon added back in. I just...needed to. There will be some other ones later on as I feel the story warrants them.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge  
of the unconscious activities of the mind.  
-Sigmund Freud

Cecilia Alcott stalked along the garden path, a tortured soul looking for release.

The last two weeks had been the closest thing to hell that the British teen had known. Even the death of her parents paled in comparison to the miseries Cecilia had endured in silence. During lessons, her classmates smiled at her and treated the Candidate Representative appropriately. But she always saw it in their eyes: the hint of contempt because she lost to a novice. Everyone denied thinking it, but the Briton always detected it in the faces of her classmates when they thought she wasn't looking.

At the day's end, Cecilia found herself in increasingly worse shape. Each night's dreams terrified her, bringing the British teen awake in sheets that were completely soaked. The lack of sleep had taken it's toll: only the careful use of makeup hid the dark rings growing under blue eyes. Cecilia had grown considerably sharp with Chelsea in the last few days, even as the older teen had tried to get her friend and mistress to open up to her.

The straw that had broken the proverbial camel's back had been today. As the class had broken for lunch, Cecilia had been held after by her instructor. _"I don't know what's going on with you,"_ the dark haired woman had started, without looking up from her paperwork, _"but I want you to report to the school counselor after classes today."_ Chifuyu Orimura looked up from her papers to see the Briton opening her mouth in protest. _"That's not a request, mind you. It's an order."_

Ignoring the turn in the pathway, the blond teen walked off the gravel onto the dirt. Plants snapped and thrashed as the folds of the long skirt pulled through them. Cecilia was so focused on her internal despair that she failed to notice her foot coming down on a particularly frail looking specimen.

"Stop right there young missy," a stern voice commanded, freezing the Briton in place instantly. Balancing uncomfortably on one foot, Cecilia glanced over her shoulders to see a man with a wheelbarrow laden with gardening supplies on the edge of the path. Tufts of grey hair peaked out from under his straw hat; tanned leathery skin was pulled taut along his face.

"Do you know who I am?" Cecilia said, planting her foot and turning to face the person intruding on her rampage.

The man merely shook his head, keeping brown eyes fixed on the teen. "Who you are doesn't matter to me. You're not so big that I can't take you over my knee and paddle your behind until you can't sit down." A slightest hint of amusement flickered into his eyes as he continued. "Then I would turn you over to the school administration for destroying school property."

Outrage colored Cecilia's face as her eyes hardened. "You...you...who are you?"

Pulling out a couple of tools from the wheelbarrow, the elderly man walked over to the plants and started inspecting the damage Cecilia had wrought. "My name is Boothby, and I'm a staff member here."

A moment of panic fought to cloud the British teen's judgement as her mouth went drier than any desert. "I—ah—" she stammered once, then closed her mouth and forced a swallow past the sudden lump in her throat. "I apologize for the harshness of my tone just now."

The hat covered head bobbed once without looking up. "You're not the first student around here to be upset about something." A soft sigh came out as Boothby knelt down and poked at one devastated specimen. "And I doubt you'll be the last."

The faint glimmer of hope grew in Cecilia's chest as she began watching the elderly man examine the garden plants. Turning as quietly as she could, the British teen took a single step before Boothby's stern voice interjected again. "Did I say you could go?"

Cecilia flushed in embarrassment as she turned back towards the gardener. Boothby kept his head down as his hands continued their work. "I don't know what your problem is, but you're going to talk about it with me. Then I'll decide your fate."

Assorted images flashed through the blond IS pilot's mind as panic swelled in her chest. _He wants me to talk to him about that?_ Cecilia's mouth opened to protest her treatment only to be interrupted again by Boothby. "Don't try to argue, just do what I tell you."

Snapping her mouth shut with an audible clack, the Briton kept quiet as she fumed over her situation. Finding no options to work with, Cecilia resigned herself to her fate. "My name is Cecilia Alcott. I am the Candidate Representative for Britain. Two weeks ago, I lost a match to a novice from Japan."

Boothby made a noncommittal grunt as he wove a damaged stalk around a stake. Cecilia felt her embarrassment start to overwhelm her as she continued, "Over the past two weeks I have found myself sleeping rather poorly and it has begun to affect my time at the Academy."

A second grunt interrupted Cecilia's recitation. "So why haven't you been sleeping well?"

The question, delivered with a hint of impatient openness, shocked the British teen into silence. Scenes flashed before widened blue eyes: being forced from the school for her incompentence; living a life on the street as a commoner; having all her friends laugh at her failings.

Belatedly realizing that Boothby was waiting for an answer, Cecilia snapped back to reality. "I guess," she started cautiously, "that I've been having nightmares."

"And this...novice," the elderly man hinted, hesitating on the word, "has she been the focus of any the nightmares?"

 _Oh yes,_ Cecilia thought instantly. Kirika had placed several times in the nightmares as well. Each dream involved the redheaded teen in disturbing ways: always the dominant person, degrading and humiliating the proper Briton. Forcing Cecilia to please the Japanese teen in creative ways, to receive the abuse with a smile and encouragement for more. _In my nightmares with her, I am nothing more than a toy to be used by Kirika as she sees fit. She violates me and forces me to become something I am not... and yet why does my body react so strongly to those dreams?_

"A few of them," the teen admitted grudgingly. "But I fail to see how a grease monkey like her can cause me nightmares."

Boothby's head looked up from his work, focusing on the intonation of the slur. "Well, that's easy enough," he admitted as he slowly climbed to his feet.

"It—it is?" asked Cecilia, her confusion apparent in her voice.

"Sure," the elderly man agreed as he walked back to his tools. "Do you know why I stopped you when I did?"

The sudden shift of topic left the British teen dazed. "Well, no."

"Most of these flowers here are well established. A little rough treatment like a young lady throwing a tantrum," Boothby continued in a voice so dry Cecilia could not find any hint of sarcasm, "won't bother them in the least. To them, you were just a hot breeze that came through. They've been hurt, of course, but they can heal. That one you were about to step on, though, is a different story."

Cecilia glanced down at the small sprig of green from the black soil. The words came out softly before she realized she was saying them, "But it's just a weed."

Stepping closer to the blond teen, the elderly man's lips curled lightly at the corners. "Are you sure about that? Because I'm careful with my beds. I don't let weeds grow in them."

Blue eyes looked up to note the smirk on Boothby's face as he continued, "And neither does Chifuyu Orimura."

Cecilia closed her eyes in thought as the dry voice continued on. "Now I won't tell her about you tearing up my beds, but your punishment is that you have to go talk to that novice. You especially have to talk to her about your nightmares."

Shock brought the British teen's eyes open again as her jaw dropped at the instruction. Boothby's face brooked no argument as Cecilia started to protest her treatment. "Of course, you can always see what kind of punishment Instructor Orimura will come up with when I mention that one of her students was damaging my beds. She likes me well enough, so I can't imagine it will be all that pleasant."

"No sir," Cecilia eagerly sputtered out. "I would rather talk to Kirika about my dreams. With your permission, may I go find her now?"

Boothby's head nodded solemnly once to dismiss the British teen. Cecilia carefully wove her way back to the stone path, set on her mission.

—*—

A blank door stood blocking the path of Cecilia Alcott; the silent guardian that offered respite from her destiny. The blond teen closed her eyes as she forced her breath through her nose instead of clenched teeth. The pounding of blood in her ears slowed as the Briton listened to a quiet murmur of voices through the metal. Closing blue eyes one last time, Cecilia summoned up her courage and focused her mind on the task at hand. _I have orders to do this, so do it I will._

Delicate fingers reached out and pressed onto the locking bar, releasing the door with a loud click. Bright light poured into the doorway as Cecilia raised one hand to cover her eyes from the instant assault. When her vision cleared, the British teen saw Kirika, Houki and Charlotte sitting on the roof, the remains of lunch containers lying around them.

All three seated teens looked over at the opening access. Charlotte's face was friendly, the French teen instantly accepting the newcomer to the group. Houki's lips pursed though she kept a smile forced on her face. Cecilia noted the tall girl's dark eyes narrow at the sight of her arrival.

Kirika's reaction was the most intriguing to the Briton's inspection. The redheaded teen's face settled into what Cecilia classified as stoic, but hazel eyes had a glint of an emotion the taller girl could not identify. _Does she know?_ Clearing her throat softly, Cecilia walked towards her classmates. Her most courteous voice carried to all three seated teens, "May I join you?"

"Of course you can," Charlotte replied with a grin brighter than the sun. The French teen shifted her position slightly and made room for Cecilia. Holding her skirt carefully, the Briton carefully sat down on her knees. Cecilia felt the weight of three sets of eyes on her as she settled herself to the ground. Silence dropped over the four girls uncomfortably as Cecilia's gaze remained firmly locked on the ground.

"Sooo..." Houki drawled, finally breaking the silence. "This is a little unusual for you Cecilia."

Lost thought, the British teen missed the comment. A quick jerk brought her back to reality. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

A frown creased Houki's full lips for a moment. "I said, this is unusual. Normally you're surrounded by those others hanging on your every word."

"Ah," Cecilia absently agreed, settling her blue eyes on the redheaded Japanese girl. "Yes, but today I decided I need to talk with Kirika."

Blinking at the statement, Kirika put down her tea. "If this is about my being the class representative, can it at least wait til after lunch?"

The British teen stopped the talk with a casual wave of her elegant fingers. "No no no," she assured the shorter girl. "It's not about that...well...I guess it is a bit."

Cocking one eyebrow quizzically, Kirika said nothing as Cecilia pressed on. "Ineedtoapologizeformyconduct," the Briton sputtered out, tripping over the words in her haste to get them out. All three friends looked confused at the statement. Realizing her mistake, Cecilia took a breath and calmed herself marginally. "I need to apologize for my conduct. What you said after our match was correct."

Both Japanese teens had a measure of open shock on their faces. Charlotte broke into a warm, open smile that made the British teen feel instantly better. Buoyant in her confidence, Cecilia closed pale blue eyes and bowed her head as she continued. "It's taken me these last two weeks to really come to accept the truth in your words. I should not have been so dismissive of your background. While your methods are...unorthodox, that does not make you my inferior."

Hazel eyes as wide as tea saucers, Kirika belatedly realized her mouth was hanging open. Slowly closing it, the redheaded teen tried to get any thoughts started. Staring at the British teen's bowed head, Kirika felt her face break into a sincere smile. "I—uh—accept your apology Cecilia." Blue eyes snapped open to reveal a teen on the edge of tears. Focusing past the emotions in her heart, the Japanese teen pressed on. "I need to apologize as well. What I said during our match was inexcusable. But I had to do something to distract you."

Wiping away tears with the back of her hand, the Briton sniffled once and smiled weakly. "Accepted."

Kirika glanced at her friends' reaction as she tried to gauge what she should say next. Charlotte had a radiant grin that rendered her almost angelic. Houki's face seemed guarded, but her sapphire eyes had a hint of pride while the corners of her lips had tweaked into the barest of smirks. "You know, you nearly had me in that match Ceci-chan. If I hadn't twigged to the fact that you had to concentrate to use those pods—"

"BITs," Charlotte supplied helpfully.

"Right, those. I saw some things and had to make a play at it. I wouldn't say it was honest but it was necessary," Kirika concluded softly. "But for a single bit of pride you would have won."

The expression 'Ceci-chan' sent the British teen deep into her own mind, recalling nightmarish images. Blue eyes went vacant for just a moment and came back to reality. "Eh? Ah, well I had a lot to be proud about," Cecilia stammered in an attempt to cover her lapse. "At least I thought I did."

"And now?" Houki asked innocently.

Chewing her lip thoughtfully, Cecilia's eyes drifted to the ground. "Now I'm not so sure. I do have some more things to think about."

Grinning wildly, Charlotte clasped her classmate on the shoulder lightly. "Some would say zhat iz zhe start of knowledge: uncertainty in what you know."

A sense of calm acceptance washed over the British teen, causing her to release unknown tension in her shoulders. The next step in the conversation presented itself, and Cecilia made her decision in an instant. "I must admit, I have not slept well the last couple of weeks. I—kept having," she admitted in a pain laden voice, "well...nightmares about my situation."

The three friends blinked in unison at the statement. "Your...situation?" Charlotte inquired delicately.

Blond hair bobbed as Cecilia nodded and pushed on. "I kept having these dreams were I was stripped of my IS, my status as a Candidate Representative." A normally aristocratic voice became completely an inflectionless monotone. "That you all were laughing at me behind my back."

Houki reached out to wrap one around the blond teen's shoulders while Kirika and Charlotte each held a hand. The Briton's lip quivered once but nothing came out. All three friends watched intently to judge Cecilia's state while trying to figure out the situation. Charlotte was first to come to a conclusion. "Cecilia, no one would laugh at you because you lost to Kirika. You went out and demonstrated exceptional skill." Amethyst eyes flicked towards the class representative. "And Kirika demonstrated zhat she is unpredictable. But no one in our class zhinks worse of you for your loss."

Kirika nodded enthusiastically at the French teen's assessment. "Yeah, Charlotte's right. While I have heard a lot of talk regarding the match, no one has ever slammed you because of it. Most of the people who ask me about you, I only tell them 'I got lucky. Cecilia's a fine opponent.' Even these two will tell you that, because I admitted it to them that night."

Cecilia felt a wry grin tug at her lips as she began to realize just how wrong she had been. All three friends caught the look and broke into their own happy grins. "May I ask you a question Kirika?" the British teen inquired, forcing a calmness into her voice that she did not feel.

Cocking one eyebrow slightly, the redheaded class representative nodded marginally. Cecilia debated internally how best to ask her question. "I had heard in passing that you might have brought an object to the school. It was described to me as a 'gasoline powered personal gratification tool'." A blush colored the Briton's cheeks as she forced herself to say unfamiliar words. "Did you?"

The other teens all stared at Cecilia with open expressions of shock. _I doubt I could have gotten a more surprised look if I had slapped them,_ she mused through her own embarrassment. Charlotte's angelic face was nearly as red as Kirika's hair. Houki's mouth hung agape trying to catch flies. The redheaded teen's face matched Houki's for shock value, but hazel eyes had the slightest glint of amusement in them.

Feeling her embarrassment growing, Cecilia dropped her gaze to the rooftop and started to open her mouth to dismiss the question. The words started to form on her tongue even as a sound distracted her. Looking up, Cecilia found a peculiar scene.

Houki and Charlotte had lost their shocked expressions; their faces now had a mixture of curiosity as they stared at the fourth teen. Kirika's head was tilted towards the ground, her bangs had fallen forward and now obscured her eyes. One hand was up covering her thin lips but it was her shoulders that caught everyone's attention. They were shaking.

Finally losing it, Kirika started giggling through her hand. Before the three taller teens could react, the giggles had grown into a hearty belly laugh. The free left hand started slapping on a skirt covered knee. The taller teens watched as the redhead was shaking harder, rocking back and forth as her whole body convulsed with laughter.

Houki traded a frown with Charlotte as tears ran down Kirika's cheeks. Both girls started giggling as their redheaded friend's mood infected them. Cecilia's face darkened as understanding dawned on her.

Breath coming in ragged gasps, Kirika struggled to calm down. Her right hand wrapped itself tightly around her stomach as her friends quieted down. "Oh _Kami_ , it hurts to breathe now Cecilia-chan," the Japanese girl croaked hoarsely. Callused fingers reached up to wipe away hazel eyes. "And here I thought you had no sense of humor. Then you drop something like that on me."

The British teen's face flushed in embarrassment as Kirika continued. "I don't know who might have been telling you such things," the redheaded teenager paused to glance at her friends. Both girls quickly shook their heads to deny any responsibility, though Charlotte's amethyst eyes held an impish twinkle to them. "But come on, a gasoline powered toy like you describe? That's just ridiculous. And there's no way I'd consider bringing it to the Academy."

Cecilia's voice was a hushed whisper, barely reaching the other girls. "You mean it's a lie?"

Kirika flashed a lopsided grin at the taller girl. "Absolutely," she confirmed before laughing again. All three girls joined the class representative in a warm burst of laughter until the redhead abruptly stopped short. "Besides, if I was going to have something like that, I wouldn't make it gasoline powered," Kirika admitted in a matter of fact tone. "It'd be doable, sure, but it would be too much effort in getting it slow enough to not kill a person as you use it. Machining the reduction gears would be a pain and a half. Much simpler to use an electric motor as the base."

Silence dropped over the taller teenagers with the suddenness of a lightning bolt. Three sets of eyes affixed their gaze upon the shorter Japanese girl. "What?" Kirika admitted sheepishly. "I've been playing with mechanical stuff since I was five. I can design something that simple in my head almost instantly."

The redheaded teen forced out an awkward chuckle at her joke as the lunch break came to a close.

—*—

"Do I really have to be naked for this?" Houki whined in the soft light of her shared room.

"Of course you do," her roommate acknowledged with a straight face. "You wanted my help and that means we start at the basic level."

Houki's eyes drifted shut as her mind sorted out facts. Feeling Rika's hands on her own, the kendoka* fought briefly to keep her modesty as her hands were pulled away from a toned body.

"Okay, I'm naked," the raven haired girl admitted, opening her eyes to glance at the shorter girl. "What's next, a quick run around the campus?"

Kirika's hazel eyes widened at the suggestion. "Hmm..." she mused openly, earning a worried look from Houki. "Not a bad idea. We could go running before the start of class. Really show off what we've got to work with. Maybe Charlotte would come with us. We could even try to get the whole class on it, do some sort of nude day."

The shorter teen looked up to find a panicked expression bordering on absolute horror on her roommate's beautiful face. Letting the thought hang between them for a moment longer, Rika finally broke into a devilish grin. "Relax roomie, I'm just playing with you."

Blue eyes relaxed slightly at the carefree expression on Rika's face. "Now, I might not be as good as Ryou-chan or some of the others I used to hang out with, but I'm still a Tokyo girl and we're one of the fashion capitals of the world," Kirika started, efficiently stripping out of her clothes in front of her roommate. "But since I'm not quite as good, I guess I'll just have to do it the same way they did. Which means first off, we're going to get you to start looking at yourself like others do."

The redhead teen's voice grew into a parody of Cecilia's snobbish tones. "Besides, I don't know why you have underwear like that. If you told me it was picked out for you by a hardcore butch lesbian, I would almost believe it. Except even THEY have more fashion sense."

Houki's face broke into a pained expression almost instantly. "Hey, I picked out that stuff," she protested.

A redness brighter than her hair started at Kirika's cheeks and crept down the length of her neck. "And that," she muttered flippantly to her raven haired roommate, "is the sound of me putting my foot in my mouth. To my knee."

The corners of a pair of full lips curled up a hair. "It's okay Rika," the kendoka admitted neutrally. "This is part of the reason I need to learn this stuff."

"I will try to be more careful though," Kirika uttered apologetically. Clearing her throat once softly, hazel eyes looked up across the space between the two girls. "Okay, so to begin with, the most basic element you need to understand is that it's not just what you wear. It's not even how you wear it." Callused hands gestured at the entirety of the kendoka's body. "Ultimately, true femininity is based on you."

Houki's eyebrows dropped down as a frown creased her face. "Is that some sort of Zen practice?"

Crimson eyebrows reached up for low slung bangs. "In theory, yes. In reality it's more like I can't explain it properly." The shorter teen frowned as she collected her thoughts. "Clothing doesn't matter. A truly beautiful, feminine woman could have her face covered in dirt, unkempt hair and be wearing a misshapen sack for clothes." Reaching up carefully, Kirika laid a hand between her roommate's full breasts to rest on her heart. Houki shivered lightly at the contact, but remained silent. "You take a woman with those criteria, but have her confident in herself, and you would not find anyone in the world who won't agree that's she a feminine creature."

The free hand skimmed Houki's arm to tap one finger against the side of the kendoka's head. Both hands tapped a steady unified rhythm on the taller girl's skin. "And what I'm going to do is teach you how to feel your feminine side in both spots."

The kendoka felt an electric tingle in her skin where the redhead's hand resided. Ignoring the flutter in her stomach the tingle caused, Houki focused her mind to remain calm. "And how exactly will we do that?"

Rika flashed a confident smile up at her roommate. "For starters, we need you to start seeing yourself as others see you." Quickly sidestepping around Houki, the redheaded teen placed her calloused hands on strong shoulders. A gentle push got the kendoka moving, and a tug stopped them both in front of the full length mirror they shared.

Standing on the tips of her toes, Rika peeked up over her roommate's shoulders. "Go ahead and close your eyes a minute," she insisted in a tone that brooked no argument. Houki hesitated for a minute before complying. The shorter girl leaned in close and was rewarded with a minor thrill as the kendoka's hair grazed across exposed breasts. Pulling the long hair gently with one hand, Rika draped it lightly over Houki's opposite shoulder.

"Now let's try seeing yourself as someone else would. You're at a public bath and you see this woman sitting there. Now open your eyes Houki." Blue eyes opened and locked onto the image presented to them. Rika continued in a soft voice, her breath warm on the taller teen's ear. "If a stranger sees you in the bath, what might she see?"

The free hand lightly wrapped itself around Houki's waist. "She would see a woman that has taken pride in her body and works hard to maintain it." As Rika continued, her hand moved of it's own accord, coming to a rest just under the kendoka's large breasts without touching them. "Someone who has an idea of her femininity and didn't want to lose it in her pursuits." Callused fingers drifted higher, avoiding touching Houki until two fingers were holding her narrow chin. "But if you look in her eyes..."

Houki's eyes fixated on her reflection, seeing a face she barely recognized. "What's going on here?" the kendoka asked in a hushed tone to her roommate.

Hazel eyes glittered as the room's lights gave a halo to both teens. "If you look in her eyes," Kirika continued, her voice intimately soft, "you see a woman who has no confidence in herself. And because she has no confidence in herself, you can't see her as a woman." Hints of shadows played across the faces of both girls; the brief glimpse of darkness gave Houki a momentary clarity.

Strong legs held a body that was athletically trim while not overly muscular. Moving upwards, the woman had a flat stomach leading into large breasts that complimented her frame almost perfectly. A slender neck gave elegance to an oval face with long curves, high cheeks and a tapered chin. The thin nose separated crystalline blue eyes. As Houki looked into the reflection, those blue orbs held only doubt and confusion.

Startled by what she saw in the mirror, Houki jerked in her roommate's grip. Instinctively trying to move, the taller teen slammed into Kirika and sent both girls sprawling to the ground. The kendoka felt her arm slam into something malleable as something unforgiving hit the back of her head.

"Oof!" exclaimed the redheaded teen as she was compressed between the floor and her roommate's weight. The world darkened as a wave black hair settled over Kirika's face. _Well, this is a little awkward..._ the class representative thought to herself.

Houki was lying atop of the shorter girl, almost motionless except for the feeling of her breathing. One of the kendoka's breasts rested solidly in Rika's hand, the nipple was stiffening under the inadvertent caress by the calloused palm. A long leg was tangled between Rika's own; the sensation from the presence of the strong thigh up against her sex intimately caused the redhead's face to flush reflexively. _How am I going to explain this if I have to call for help?_

The kendoka solved the problem by starting to move, twisting her head slightly. Opening her eyes, Houki stared blankly at the ceiling of the room before realization clicked in and she pulled herself to a position lightly straddling Rika's legs. "I'm so sorry Kirika I didn't mean to do that."

Rubbing her sore spots gingerly, the redheaded teen pulled herself from under her roommate. "It's okay," Rika allowed. "Accidents happen."

Blue eyes drifted down to the ground as Houki recalled the prayers learned as a child. _Was there one I can use to have me drop dead and save the embarrassment,_ the dark haired teen frantically thought. Any further musings were interrupted by a set of smaller hands gripping her own.

"I said it's okay Houki-chan and I meant it," Kirika muttered soothingly. Stepping around her roommate, the class representative looked up into a face covered with shame. "Trust me, I've seen it all, been knocked around by some of the best." A wry expression crossed the redhead's face for a moment, then her voice was light as she continued, "Even you. This sort of thing happens. I'm not sure what you saw that spooked you, but we'll put it aside for now."

All trace of amusement vanished from the shorter teen's voice. "Look, I already know you've got plenty of confidence. But right now it's all focused on your kendo skills. That means I need to just get you comfortable with your body. Like someone wise once said, 'This is normally a skill that takes years to develop'."

Houki smiled as she recalled using nearly those exact words during a training session with her roommate. Kirika returned the smile as she pressed on. "But it makes the work easier in a lot of regards. I just have to get you to dress properly and transfer some of that confidence into the appreciation of your body." A single hand reached up to wrap around the taller girl's shoulders. "It won't be easy, but I don't back down on anything I said I would do."

The kendoka flashed a thankful smile at Kirika as the redhead held her comfortingly.

* * *

*Kendoka - a practitioner of kendo

A/N: A new chapter! Sorry it took so very long to get this updated. I've been busy with a few life things, and it made getting time to write problematic. My beta reader bailed on me and work kept piling up. But have no fears: I've got some details on the next chapter ready, but it probably will not be seen until after the new year.

To help fill out the next few chapters, I could use a suggestion or two. PM me with a scene idea. Basic info is fine. If you only know the people you want in it, that's okay I can build it out from there.

As always, please drop a review if you've read it! I work better with feedback!

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5   
There's always a new challenge   
to keep you motivated.   
-Sean Connery

Kirika stood at center of the field, hazel eyes closed in concentration. The Japanese teen knew if she was looking, she would find the eyes of every person from two classes staring at her. Raising her left arm to shoulder height, a tingle of pressure on the exposed skin let her know that the Uchigane was now there.

"Well, you can certainly deploy part of your IS, but that's not what you were told to do," Cecilia's voice came as a rude interruption, breaking the redheaded teen's focus. Snapping her eyes open, Kirika focused and saw two blond girls standing in their own IS frames. Cecilia had a sarcastic grin on her cultured face; Charlotte flashed a disapproving scowl at the British teen from her own Revive. The Japanese teen felt the burning in her cheeks from the embarrassment and quickly closed her eyes again.

Both Europeans were close enough to see the pinched look of determination on their classmate as her body was enveloped in the shimmer of an IS teleport effect. As the light faded, the two watched their classmate debut her IS.

At least it was an Uchigane in name. The samurai inspired skirt and pauldrons were gone; the latter replaced with an arrow shaped shield with a vague wing design. The skirt was similarly designed, curving into a wave pattern with long points that ran along the main cardinal points of Kirika's legs. Looking over her shoulder, the novice class representative tracked the design with her hazel orbs. Two oversized thrusters were tucked in the small of her back. The match-winning claws were locked into their own pods on her forearms; the weapons unneeded for this particular exercise. Kirika frowned mentally at the slate grey appearance of the IS. _I wish I had managed to get it painted before I demonstrated it,_ the redheaded teen thought sourly.

Charlotte's amethyst eyes glittered with excitement. "Good work, _mon amie_ ," the French teen whispered. Even Cecilia's navy eyes held a grudging respect for the choices shown in the IS. The mutual admiration came to an abrupt end when three pebbles suddenly bounced off the girls' heads.

"If you are quite finished ladies, we need to get on with our lesson," came a stern voice. Chifuyu Orimura's dark eyes were calm, but her tone brooked no argument. All three pilots flushed in mutual chagrin while a couple of voices tittered from the assembled crowd. Taking a shallow breath to help center herself, Kirika motioned to the British teen.

Cecilia nodded slightly as she ignited the thrusters of Blue Tears and leapt from the ground. Kirika felt a fresh grin settle onto her face as her own Raiko's thrusters propelled her into the air. The two girls flew a basic set of maneuvers as they heard Charlotte describe some of the functions of the IS. Kirika reached out with her left hand and barely grazed Cecilia's right. Her attention piqued, the British teen glanced at her redheaded wingman. The Japanese student pulled a tight roll, flipping her IS until she was on the Briton's left side. Blue eyes flared momentarily at being upstaged by the amateur as Cecilia calculated her response.

 **"Both of you show me a power-dive,"** came the voice of Chifuyu Orimura over the pilots' radios.

"Roger ma'am!" barked Cecilia. Rolling Blue Tears towards the ground, the British teen flew down at almost her top speed. Breaking smoothly to a stop just above the dirt floor of the arena, Cecilia pushed a few stray golden hairs from her face as she looked back at the class representative.

Smirking in spite of herself, Kirika nodded towards the Briton, accepting the challenge. Inverting her Raiko away from the ground, the redheaded teen dove at breakneck speeds. The HUD flashed a warning as Kirika focused intently on what she wanted to do. As the ground rushed towards her, the Japanese girl maxed out her PIC to cancel out her momentum and shifted her legs. A quick burst from her thrusters pushed the IS into a somersault that Kirika held for exactly one revolution before landing on the dirt, flexing at her knees to help absorb the impact.

Kirika held the crouch for a long heartbeat, hearing a number of squeals from the assembled classmates. Flashing another wry smirk back at Cecilia, the Japanese pilot walked over to the crowd. The class representative noted the deep scowl on the teachers, but neither woman said anything. The moment of worry left when a glance caught Charlotte smiling brightly at her.

"If you are done showing off," the elder teacher snapped crossly, "we only have a limited time to use the arena. Since you three have your own IS's, we'll break the group up in thirds and each personal user will do some instruction with their group. Nothing fancy, just power up the Uchigane and walk in it. Do you three think you can do that?"

"Yes ma'am!" the three pilots chorused in unison. Chifuyu and Maya walked away from the joint class as the students started breaking down into a smaller setup. Charlotte's group filled up quickly, with the majority of the remaining girls going to Cecilia. Kirika felt her stomach twinge in jealousy as her group filled up last.

Houki walked closer to her roommate, eyes fixated on the redheaded girl's IS. "Don't let it worry you roomie," the kendoka muttered consolingly in Japanese. "It's not like anyone has doubts about your ability to teach."

The class representative's hazel eyes looked down on Houki, a hint of pain reflecting in the green orbs. Pushing black hair away from her eyes, the normally taller girl looked up at her petite roommate. Other words formed at the sight of her friend's hurt, but Houki kept her initial response silent. "So what do we do first here, teach?" the kendoka soberly asked in English.

Focusing on her responsibilities, Kirika locked her emotions behind a collected mien. "Okay, so we'll do it simply: go by student number." Looking around her group of eager faces, the redheaded pilot tried to remember who might be first and failed. "Who's got the lowest student number here?"

"I do!" squeaked one girl with magenta eyes and purple hair. Her IS suit displayed a lean, athletic body. Kirika kept her focus on the girl's ascension into the waiting Uchigane as she racked her brain for the name. _Kiyoko Aikawa, right._ The trainee pilot settled in as the IS came alive around her. Kiyoko clomped the IS around the grouping of girls, making a complete loop. Coming to a stop, the purple haired trainee carefully got out. "Wow, this is hard," Kiyoko commented as she moved away from the Uchigane.

A second girl started climbing into the IS as soon as Kiyoko moved away. Kirika barely noticed the sounds of the Uchigane moving heavily again. Houki glanced back up to see her roommate's face go blank with a professional look as the second student began walking around the group. Hazel eyes had a distinct fuzziness to them, and the kendoka started to ask a question.

Only to have her train of thought interrupted as a resounding crash came over her shoulder. Stumbling in the Uchigane, the trainee had landed hard on her side. Kirika walked over to her pupil and helped leverage the fallen IS to its feet. The inexperienced teen nodded her thanks and resumed her lap. Houki strode over to her roommate as both girls watched the training suit progress its pace. "So," the kendoka asked quietly, "was your first time in an IS like this?"

The redheaded trainee ran one gauntleted hand through her hair, careful not to dislodge the feline-styled controllers. "Something like that," Kirika admitted with a faint smile on her lips. "Except I had the entire Maintenance Branch watching me. And after walking it a bit, I had to figure out how to fly almost immediately. And my methods...well, they really took it out of me."

Dark hair bounced once as Houki nodded at the memory. "Yeah, I remember," she murmured. The roommates watched as the second girl finished her practice with the Uchigane, hastily dismounting from the IS.

Taking a look around, the class representative eyeballed her group for the next volunteer. "Who's next?" Kirika called out neutrally.

"I am," came from right beside her. The redheaded pilot looked down at her roommate to see Houki holding up a hand with an indifferent attitude. The kendoka walked over to the training IS assigned to the group but made no effort to climb in. "But I can't get in with it like this."

Blinking, the class representative saw that the Uchigane had been left standing upright; the tops of the legs were almost even with Houki's breasts. Kirika mulled over solutions as a new voice gave insight. "Just carry her into place," Maya Yamada squeaked out, her voice chipper. "It's a common enough problem for novices to leave the IS standing up. Use your IS to help her get into position, Kirika."

The two roommates shared an awkward glance between themselves as they considered how to follow instructions. "Get a move on already!" barked Chifuyu Orimura's stern voice. "If you hold up the class I will make your lives unpleasant."

Emboldened by the threat present in their teacher's voice, the two friends came to a silent agreement. Kirika lowered herself and scooped up the taller girl in a bridal carry, supporting the dark haired teen's weight smoothly as the computers on the IS adjusted performance instantly. Houki shivered as the cool metal rested on her skin. _This is my first time being carried like this,_ the kendoka thought, feeling a second shiver run through her as gooseflesh erupted in several places.

Looking past her roommate's body, Kirika tried to gauge her position carefully. Not that Houki made it easy: the kendoka's full breasts were almost at the level of the pilot's hazel eyes and provided a ready distraction. Forcing down a familiar surge of envy at her own development, the red headed teen took a tentative step closer to the Uchigane. Each clomping footfall made the taller girl's bust shake in Kirika's face. _How am I supposed to work with a distraction like THAT?!_ rang through the shorter girl's mind as she tried to concentrate on her movements.

With a carefully managed set of actions, Kirika got her roommate placed into the Uchigane. Stepping away, the class representative waited as Houki powered up the training IS. After the HUD flashed clear, the kendoka started her own training lap, sapphire eyes intent on not repeating the same mistakes as the others. Kirika paid little attention to the efforts of her roommate as she tried to fight the butterflies in her stomach. A quick glance at her own HUD showed the class still had an hour to go. _Please let it go faster,_ the redheaded teen silently prayed.

—*—

Hot water poured readily from the showerhead, enveloping the occupant in a cloud of relaxing steam. Kirika made a minuscule adjustment to the stream, landing it exactly on protesting muscles. The various sounds of the locker room faded as the redheaded teen closed her eyes and relaxed into her routine.

A sudden pressure on her shoulder brought Kirika back to the world. Houki had reached across the divider and gripped the shorter teen lightly, almost playfully. Hazel and sapphire eyes met briefly before the kendoka pulled back. Kirika spun and shifted the showerhead with her left hand, while her right dialed the temperature down as cold as possible. Houki's shrieked as the chilled water landed between her voluptuous breasts, splattering both. Several of their classmates, their attention gathered by the kendoka's outburst, smirked at the antics. A quick bout of giggles echoed over the clatter of lockers momentarily before fading out.

Facing the showerhead again, Kirika reset the temperature and watched the room as she waited. An impish grin still hanging on her lips, Houki unwrapped the towel and climbed into the adjacent stall. Charlotte, wearing an enigmatic smirk of her own, found an open shower near the doorway.

As the first hint of steam touched the class representative's back, the redheaded teen shifted her focus to the task at hand. The conversations of various classmates drifted over the shower wall as hands worked of their own accord.

"...so what do you think our odds in the tournament are?" a chipper voice inquired.

"Not sure," a second voice, this one a relaxed alto, replied smoothly. "There's a lot of classes with good students."

"Right," came the perky voice of the first adolescent. "There's that girl in class four who's a personal user."

The alto teen's voice grew hard to hear over the rushing water in the shower. "Kan-something isn't it?"

"Kanzashi, yeah," agreed the perky voice. "And I know the Representative Candidate from Italy is in class three."

Kirika thumbed off the water and grabbed her towel from its hanger outside the stall. The redheaded teen quickly dried off as she listened with one to the conversation with one ear. "Class eight has Representative Candidates from the United States and Portugal. Argentina, Mexico, Greece and Israel are in classes six and five respectively."

Opening her locker, the novice pilot snatched out her clothes and proceeded to get dressed. Experience had taught Kirika that her tattoos attracted attention; even the teachers had given her grief in the past. _Better to cover them up, even if everyone knows I've got them._ But the sound of a nearby locker slamming shut distracted Kirika momentarily, giving a pause to the process of securing her bra. "...not all of the class representatives are personal users," chimed in a third girl.

"Good point," acknowledged the alto teen, her tone going thoughtful. "So who has a personal unit and is a class representative?"

"Well," the third voice started, in a husky tone that almost seemed masculine, "Classes three, six and eight. And then there's class one."

Kirika's hands stopped instantly; her whole body froze into an organic statue as they started talking about her. The skirt closure did not move a millimeter as the three carried on. "What about class one?" inquired the first girl innocently. Kirika felt a eerie calm settle over her. _No matter where I go, they're always talking shit about me,_ the redheaded pilot thought as familiar anger built.

Focused internally on her emotions, the Japanese teen almost missed the next statement. "What about class one," came the throaty voice of Houki, remarkably polite. All three gossip mongers fell silent at once. The kendoka's impressive physical strength was common knowledge after the Academy's first two weeks. Stories about Houki's temper were even more prolific, and all of them terrifying.

Kirika glanced in the small mirror on her locker door to see the kendoka standing at the edge of her stall; Houki had one towel wrapped around her torso while a second was dabbing at long hair. Sapphire eyes flared with an unrecognizable emotion as Houki moved a little closer to the three girls from class two. "What," came a voice that was devoid of tone, "about class one?"

All three gossips shifted away from the presence of the kendoka. The first girl swallowed audibly as she worked up her courage. "Well," she started, the nervousness crystal clear to everyone, "I guess we were wondering if she was a Representative Candidate."

The alto voice's owner, an average looking girl with neon green hair, fidgeted with her own towel. "I would want to know if she's really a personal user," she squeaked out, her voice pitching higher in distress. "I mean, it's customized somewhat, but she is using an Uchigane after all."

Even in the mirror, Kirika could see her roommate make eye contact with all three girls at once. The reflected sapphire gaze managed to bring a small shiver to the redheaded pilot as Houki continued to dab at raven hair. "Well, what do you consider a personal user? The Uchigane given to her is hers alone, not a temporary one like we used today. Kirika was allowed to customize the weapons. She even received permission to equip it with a prototype of her own design, something none of us here could even think of."

Stealing a glance around the room, the class representative caught a new mood in the room. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to follow Houki's impromptu speech. Nearly four dozen teens in various stages of undress had their focus on their classmate. To her surprise, Kirika watched as a number of girls nodded in agreement with the kendoka's statements.

Charlotte leaned against her shower door, one arm supporting her head. "My own Revive is a highly customized model, and you would not deny zhat I am a personal user, n'est-ce pas?" the French teen inquired with a smirk.

"Well, no..." admitted the green haired teen, her confidence shaken. Unwilling to speak, the other two gossips both shook their heads.

"Zhen what iz zhe difference between Kirika and me?" Charlotte asked with the slightest edge of innocence in her tone. Catching the French teen's eyes only briefly, the redheaded pilot mouthed her thanks. Charlotte's face remained calm, but Kirika saw amethyst orbs twinkle in acknowledgment.

All three members of class two grew more agitated as the French girl's logic assaulted them. Six eyes warily turned to track Houki; the tall kendoka had moved towards her own locker but kept a confident gaze on each teen. Finally working up her courage, one youth with purple hair stepped forward. "I guess there isn't a difference. That means class one is of the four that has a personal user class representative."

"Actually, there are _five_ classes now with that standard," an unfamiliar, high pitched voice boasted loudly.

Everyone in the locker room turned to see two students entering. The first one was Miwa Chisato, the class representative for class two. All eyes noted the relaxed look on the narrow face, even as the slender ponytail swished with each step. It was the second person that drew more attention. Shorter than almost all of the girls present, the newcomer was lithe to the point of almost being skeletal. Her brown hair was pulled into two pigtails that ran past her waist and emphasized the nearly shorter than regulation skirt. The standard issue Academy uniform had been similarly altered; instead of a contiguous sleeve both shoulders had been left bare while the fabric began at mid-biceps.

The newcomer's emerald eyes flicked around the room, not settling on any one person. "My name," the wiry girl started, her voice getting louder with each passing second, "is Lingyin Huang. I'm the now the class representative for class two." Lingyiin's right arm came up to let the sleeve fall back, exposing a black and purple bracelet hanging loosely on the thin wrist. "I'm also the Representative Candidate for China."

Several voices clamored for attention as Miwa raised one hand to bring quiet back to the locker room. Once the commotion died, the bespectacled teen nodded once. "I did give the position over the Lingyin," Miwa confirmed in a reedy voice. "I felt it was a better choice to have a Representative Candidate be our class rep as well given the tough competition from the other classes. This helps us to even the odds a bit."

Everyone present could feel the pride radiate from the scrawny girl as Lingyin broke into a triumphant grin. Kirika felt a flash of anger as she stared at the snaggletoothed expression of the Chinese girl. Glancing around the room, hazel eyes came to rest on Cecilia. The British teen was staunchly facing her locker; slender shoulders were riding a bit higher than normal but otherwise Cecilia seemed unfazed by the statements.

"I had been hoping to get here before the training session today so I could properly demonstrate my skills," Lingyin continued on, her expression smug, "but the paperwork was slow in getting done. It doesn't matter to me really. I'll just make sure to stand out better at the match in two weeks." Lingyin's emerald gaze tracked around the room hungrily, a predator seeking out a victim. "So who is this unusual class representative I've heard so much about? Miwa here was full of stories about her on our way to the locker room."

Belatedly realizing she was being identified, Kirika walked closer to the Chinese girl. "I guess you mean me," the redheaded teen stated neutrally. Approaching Lingyin warily, Kirika extended her hand with a confidence she did not feel. "Kirika Nakano, representative for class one."

Emerald eyes narrowed as Lingyin's gaze drifted to the Japanese teen's hand, but the Chinese girl made no effort to shake. Kirika let the gesture hang for a moment before letting her hand fall by her side. Close up, the Chinese girl's attitude was almost a wall between the two teens. "So was there something you wanted," asked the novice pilot.

"Was there something I wanted?" Asked the shorter girl scornfully. "I guess so. I just wanted to get a good look at you." Lingyin's emerald gaze drifted across exposed skin, lingering on the visible tattoo. Kirika struggled to keep her composure as she felt the shorter girl's eyes track across her breasts. _She's got something, and I don't think I like it. But if it comes down to a fight, I've got maybe five centimeters and two kilos on her._

Another quick scan of the room brought relief to the redheaded rep. Charlotte had finished her shower and was paying attention to her friend. A number of members of class one were close by as well. Feeling a surge of an idea, the Japanese girl decided to go with it. "Take as much of as look as you want," Kirika admitted teasingly, letting her hazel gaze track over the washboard look of the shorter teen. "Who knows, maybe one day you'll have some breasts to get people to look at too."

"WHY YOU!" roared Lingyin, reacting to the barb instantly. Moving with a speed that would have shamed a cobra, the Chinese girl's right hand came up into a jab at the redhead's face. Already moving on her own, Kirika raised her left arm to block the punch, confident in her ability. It wasn't until the blow connected with her defense did the Japanese teen realize her mistake. The strike, much heavier than it should have been, slammed into the upraised limb with the intensity of a bowling ball taking down a spare. Unable to stop, the arm smashed back against Kirika's face with stunning force.

Staggering back, the redheaded teen began to focus on the opponent in front of her. Kirika shook her head to clear it as the entire room broke into chaos. A pair of strong arms wrapped the Japanese girl around her shoulders and waist; toned and disciplined muscles unyielding even as something soft pressed into the damp red hair at the nape of the neck.

"Relax Kirika-chan. Don't fight me," Houki whispered intently in Japanese to her roommate. Glancing over her shoulder revealed the kendoka's sapphire gaze locked on Lingyin even as Houki dragged her roommate away. Checking in on her opponent, the redheaded class representative saw a surprising form blocking the path of the Chinese girl. Blinking at the sight of long hair and a longer skirt, Kirika suddenly recognized Cecilia holding one hand up in front of Lingyin. Though unable to see Cecilia's face, the uncertain expression on the shorter girl gave evidence to the Briton's seriousness. Charlotte stood off to the side of the Chinese teen in a relaxed fighting stance; her damp butter-blond hair was almost a twin to Cecilia's golden hues. The French girl's amethyst eyes were cold even as her face was rigidly calm.

Kirika fixed her hazel eyes on Lingyin, finally appreciating the severity of her mistake: the Chinese teen had gone with a partial deployment of her IS. A purple fist the size of a cantaloupe had been used to hit the Japanese teen. Rolling her left arm carefully, Kirika saw a bruise nearly the entire length of her forearm beginning to form. Taking advantage of her roommate's distraction, Houki continued to put distance between the scuffle and her roommate. "Calm down," the kendoka advised, sticking with Japanese to keep the foreign students out of it. "Remember Kirika-chan, you can't afford to be on Orimura-sensei's shit list."

Invoking the name of their teacher was the equivalent of dumping a tank full of ice water on the shorter girl. Kirika let herself be moved away from her assailant, even moving with her roommate's taller stride. Houki escorted the redheaded pilot to her own locker, keeping her arms around the smaller girl to maintain control. As the two teens approached Houki's locker, the kendoka felt something hot and wet hit her arm. Glancing worriedly, Houki's sapphire eyes widened at the sight of blood on Kirika's face.

For her part, the redheaded pilot tasted the copper on her upper lip and felt a new surge of anger. The tension in Houki's arms slackened, letting the shorter teen break the hold to free herself. Not moving away from her friend, Kirika gingerly probed her nose. Pain flared with each gentle touch, but it subsided almost immediately when pressure was removed. _Good, I don't think it's broken._

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" An authoritative voice bellowed, the loud words echoing in the enclosed space. Nearly forty teens stopped all activity as a woman with dark hair and darker eyes strode confidently through the door of the locker room. Aki Tetsuhara, teacher for class two, carried herself with an elegant air into the humidity of the changing facilities. "I will not repeat myself a third time," the teacher stated, her aristocratic tone both chilling and beautiful. "What is the meaning of this?"

Every student in the room looked down at the ground. Kirika quickly wiped away the blood from her face before turning towards the instructor. Aki Tetsuhara's dark eyes flitted from person to person; the nearly black orbs catching nearly every detail. Opening her mouth to start the punishments, the instructor was stopped by Lingyin's raised hand.

"My name is Lingyin Huang ma'am, I just transferred into your class." The Chinese girl's voice was as confident as her smirk. The teacher arched one eyebrow inquisitively but made no comment. Lingyin's smile died slightly at her treatment from the instructor. "I was just...showing my classmates how we introduce ourselves in China."

Both narrow eyebrows raised at the statement, but Mrs. Tetsuhara said nothing. Scanning the room another time, her dark eyes settled on Kirika Nakano. "You're the rep for class one? Is what Huang saying true?"

Kirika nodded once to acknowledge the teacher, but kept silent. Mrs. Tetsuhara's thin lips curled into a scowl, prompting the redheaded pilot to find her voice. "It's true, ma'am. Huang just came here to introduce herself to the class."

Aki Tetsuhara noted the presence of blood just under the teen's nose. Dark eyes flitted over Kirika's body professionally, instantly assessing the young woman's injuries. "Okay then," the teacher stated, her voice neither accepting nor accusing. "Everyone get finished up and get out. Other classes need to make use of the arena facilities."

"Yes ma'am!" chorused the entire roomful of teens. Moving quickly to execute their new orders, the joint class fell into silence. The only sounds in the locker room was the rustle of cloth and the slamming of locker doors. Kirika eyed her uniform top once in the mirror as her hands went into the process of setting the ribbon. A tickle at the nape of the redhead's neck stopped the pilot trainee mid-tie. Turning slowly, Kirika found Lingyin standing almost intimately close; the shorter teen had a single tooth poking out of her grin.

"Just so you know," Lingyin muttered, her voice polite but holding an edge to it, "when we fight at the class league match I'll show you exactly what the difference is between you and a personal user." Not waiting for a response, the thin girl spun on a heel and confidently strode from the locker room.

Feeling one hand on her shoulder, Kirika looked over to see her roommate's sapphire gaze locked on her. "No worries roomie," the redheaded teen asserted, projecting a confidence she didn't feel. Looking back towards the doorway the Chinese girl had disappeared through. "As for you, shorty, you might be surprised by what I can do," Kirika muttered under her breath as she slammed her locker shut.

—*—

Charlotte stood hesitantly at the closed door, unsure of her next actions. It wasn't fear that kept the French teen from opening the door: the sign on it read "K. Nakano" and "H. Shinonono". Even the knowledge that she had been in the room previously didn't stop her. But still Charlotte found it hard to raise her hand.

Coming from inside the room was the source of the French girl's hesitation. Though the door muffled the words, a voice could be clearly heard. Charlotte pressed her ear to the cool wood to help perceive what was being said. Distorted sounds came through, but the French pilot thought she could make out Kirika's voice. Unable to discern specific words, Charlotte leaned back and rapped on the room's door twice.

The voice stopped abruptly, but the door did not open immediately. Wondering if her redheaded classmate was actually out of the room, Charlotte reached out to knock on the door one more time. The French pilot's delicate hand was halfway through it's motion before the wooden obstacle flew inward quickly. Charlotte blinked slightly as Kirika glared out from the entryway; the extended hand immediately forgotten at the sight of the shorter girl.

Kirika stopped cold at the sight of her blond friend's presence in the entryway. Hazel eyes focused hard on Charlotte for a moment before recognition blossomed on the Japanese teen's face. Chagrined, the redheaded pilot waved the French girl inside as she mouthed an apology. Charlotte merely waved away the gesture as she pulled out a chair to sit in. The redheaded teen flashed a grateful look as she resumed her conversation. Charlotte closed her eyes a moment to give her friend as much privacy as possible. Not that it was necessary, the French girl lacked the language skills to follow Kirika's rapid fire Japanese.

The door opened again and Houki walked in, cradling a small bowl filled with ice. Sapphire eyes widened slightly as they noted Charlotte sitting at the desk. Houki shut the door quietly behind her and moved rapidly to the French girl, quickly checking for anyone else in the room. Finding none, the kendoka deposited the bowl on the desk next to the Charlotte's arm. "Hey Charlotte," Houki whispered softly.

"Good evening," Charlotte responded, equally quiet. The French teen let her amethyst gaze track over the class representative's profile. The sleeveless gold shirt and blue shorts were loose but not baggy on the shorter girl's frame. Kirika's red hair was pulled back even as her two omnipresent bangs bounced with every gesture.

"She tends to call her folks once a week or so. Tends to be around a ten minute call," Houki explained to fill time. Her throaty voice grew wistful as she continued. "It must be nice to have a relationship like that with your parents. I haven't seen mine in a few years."

Charlotte started to formulate her question, but never got the chance to ask it. Kirika's tone changed slightly, drawing the attention of both girls. "Sayonara," muttered the redheaded student as she thumbed off her cell phone. Kirika flashed a smile at both of her friends as she placed the phone into her desk. "Sorry about that treatment Charlotte," the shorter teen apologized as she switched to English. "When you knocked at the door, I thought it was the newspaper club again."

An angelic smile played across the French girl's lips, relaxing everyone in the room. "It iz okay mon amie. What does zhe school newspaper want?"

"Well, according to them I got my ass kicked by the new girl and they wanted my side of the story," the redheaded rep stated bluntly as she perched on the edge of her bed. "Not that I think I got my ass kicked, but that's what the rumor mills are saying."

Houki broke into a wan smile as she came out of the bathroom with a towel. "Well, I think you got sucker punched and that Lingyin went past any boundaries using her IS like that. Now let's see your arm." Grabbing the shorter girl's hand, the kendoka rolled the arm carefully. Charlotte hissed in sympathetic pain at the black and blue mottling that ran across Kirika's entire forearm. Running one hand lightly over the redhead's skin, Houki's sapphire eyes met with her roommate's. "Well, it's nasty, but I don't think it's broken. How's the nose?"

Using her free hand, Kirika rubbed her nose readily. "Not a bit of pain. That was mostly just getting hit, but I'm fine now."

The kendoka wrapped a clump of ice in a double thickness of the school issue towel. "This might sting a bit," Houki warned as she placed the ice pack down on the bruised arm. Kirika hissed through clenched teeth as the pressure was applied, but the pain started to recede almost immediately.

"Do you know much about injuries, Houki?" Charlotte inquired, hoping to distract the two Japanese teens.

Looking over her shoulder, Houki realized she had forgotten the French girl's company in the room. "Well, I am a national kendo champion. Even with the pads we wear, bruises tend to be part of the uniform."

"So Kirika, how are your parents?" Asked the French teen, focusing on the shorter girl.

Careful to not dislodge the ice pack, the redheaded pilot flopped onto her back. "Oh, about the usual for them. Proud that I've not been bounced out of the program. Mom's got some big new work to do. Dad's out on a business jaunt."

Pulling out a chair, the raven haired girl reversed it and leaned against the backing. "You know Rika, in the month we've been roommates I don't think you've mentioned your family that much."

Tilting her head, Kirika glanced down her chest to look at her friends. "Not like we've had a lot of spare time to chat," she agreed. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

Taken aback, Houki blinked at the relaxed nature of her roommate. "What do your parents do?"

Settling her head onto the bed again, Kirika looked up at the plain ceiling. "Dad's a writer, does a series of crime novels." The redhead hesitated for a long pause, choosing her next words carefully. "My mom is a cop. Works as a supervisor for the National Police Agency, Criminal Investigation Branch."

Both taller girls froze in place, awestruck at the revelation. Sharing a mutual look of shock, they considered past conversations. "So," Charlotte began, her voice incredulous, "when you got into trouble about zhe entrance exams..."

"Yeah, it was a bigger flap than I might have wanted," Kirika admitted. "I get into some wild stuff, but I've never gone out of my way to cause them trouble." Charlotte kept her peace about the message even as Houki made a non-committal grunt. Raising herself from the bed, the redheaded pilot stared at her friends. "Now fair's fair. What about you two?"

Charlotte's fair complexion faded to the point of being ashen. "I live with my Papa, mostly in the outskirts of Paris. My mother...died some years ago."

Houki reached out to rub the French teen's shoulders consolingly. Kirika muttered a Japanese epithet under her breath as she dropped back to the bed. "Sorry Charlotte. As Houki will tell you, I tend to talk first and think later."

"Yep," the kendoka agreed enthusiastically. "If Rika thinks at all, that is." Kirika frowned at the additional commentary but said nothing. "As for me, I haven't seen my family in years. My parents are dead, and no one knows where my sister is."

Kirika and Charlotte focused on their raven haired friend. Houk was held rigidly in place, sapphire orbs locked on a place somewhere not in the room. "I've got some extended family I see from time to time. There's an aunt I was staying with before I came here."

The redheaded representative looked closely at her roommate. "You seem rather unconcerned at your parents' death," Kirika said, a hint of worry in her tone.

Waving away the idea, the tall girl shrugged once. "That was six years ago, and I had been in the government's protective custody already for four years because of my sister. It was rougher on them, I guess."

Charlotte's face was a study in curiosity as she pulled her hand away from her mouth. "Who iz zhis sister you keep mentioning?"

Incredulous, Houki slowly fixed her sapphire gaze on the French girl. "My sister is the one who invented all the IS units," she stated, unconsciously copying the tone of Chifuyu Orimura. "Tabane Shinonono."

The cheeks of the other girls promptly turned a bright crimson hue almost unseen in nature. Kirika let her head fall back to the bed as Charlotte sputtered to the dry chuckle of the kendoka. As the color started to fade from the blond teen's face, she finally managed to find her voice. "I had just assumed 'Shinonono' was a common name."

"Not that common and even I didn't put it together," Kirika granted. The raven haired teen just laughed harder at the trouble she had caused. Looking back at the room's third occupant, Houki noticed that Charlotte's amethyst eyes had a troubling glint to them even as her face was upset. Kirika raised her head off the bed to catch her roommate's wary look at the blond girl.

Charlotte seemed oblivious to the kendoka's curiosity. "What do you plan to call your IS...Rika?"

Kirika just nodded from her position, confirming the nickname. "I'm planning on it being called Raiko," the shorter teen said nonchalantly.

"Raiko...a good name," the kendoka said from her chair.

Amethyst eyes focused on the raven haired fighter. "What does it mean?" Charlotte inquired innocently.

Houki frowned slightly as she considered how best to answer. "It literally means, 'lightning tiger'."

Kirika's tone turned grumpy as she interjected. "I was hoping to get it painted before today, but no such luck."

"Zhen I look forward to seeing it painted," Charlotte supplied cheerfully.

A moment of heavy silence fell upon the three girls as they sat in the room. "Any thoughts about that new girl," inquired the redheaded occupant, determined to change the subject. Both taller girls looked relieved at the abruptness in the new situation.

"Lingyin?" Houki asked blandly. "She's temperamental and reckless. Using an IS to attack someone you met moments ago, regardless of provocation? I have to wonder if she's just crazy."

Butter blond hair bounced as the French girl nodded with each point. "But zhe iz FAST," Charlotte agreed. "Even knowing you were probably going to taunt her, I could not stop her punching you."

"Well, what about Cecilia?" Kirika asked without looking at her friends. "Did either of you think SHE would have stood up for me?"

"Non," Charlotte agreed. Houki just shook her head, forgetting that her roommate couldn't see the gesture. "Cecilia was pretty fast zhere too."

Taking a relaxing breath, the redheaded pilot closed her eyes for a moment. Without opening her eyes, Kirika lowered her voice as she felt sleep tug at her senses. "Well, there's a Chinese saying about 'May you live in interesting times'. I'm certain our spunky little Chinese will keep things very interesting indeed."

* * *

A/N: HOORAY for an update! I've got a lot of reasons for why I haven't been keeping up with it: real life issues, a case of writer's block and maybe a little bit of discouragement at the lack of reviews. Hopefully the third one will go away and the first two are almost done with. I have been doing bits and pieces of things coming up, it'll speed up the process.

I need to give a HUGE shout of "Thanks" to Tri92edge: Your questions really helped me to focus where I was going with this story. It might not have gotten stuff written NOW, but it will make the story better.

As always, if you've gotten to this point: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. I don't care if you want to tell me it sucked, I need the feedback to make sure I'm working at my best for you. Also, I'll be needing a few volunteers who have some native language fluency in other than English, because characters will be using English at the Academy (for argument's sake, I'm going with English as the international flight language anyway) and there will be times that people use their native languages (and let's face it, Google Translate only goes so far). You don't have to be a native of a foreign country, but if you know how to speak like a native it would help. PM me if you would like to help.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

To live is to suffer, to survive is   
to find meaning in the suffering.   
-Friedrich Nietzsche

The fading daylight washed the Infinite Stratos Academy in golden hues as the sun dropped below the horizon. A person watching from afar would notice the students walking amicably among the well kept gardens with the habit of routine. Some moved together, others walked alone as was there wont.

In the dorms, Cecilia Alcott walked out of her bathroom to find the suite empty. A moment's hesitation carried as the Briton struggled to remember the reason for her unexpected emptiness. "That's right," the blond pilot muttered to herself, "Chelsea won't be back until next week." A minor sigh escaped thin lips as Cecilia recalled her maid's departure. _I have to go back and check on the condition of the manor after that hurricane,_ Chelsea had earnestly insisted. The older teen had a mischievous grin on her face as she zipped up her bag. _Plus, I can use the chance to get you something_ special _for your birthday next month._

Tying her pink bathrobe closed, the British teen retrieved a package of leftovers from the mini-fridge and set it in the microwave to reheat. Two punches of the keypad set the device working and let Cecilia wander off to her next task. Walking to the computer in the corner, delicate fingers jiggled the mouse to wake up her terminal. Navy eyes blinked twice as the monitor turned on to show an email alert. The microwave beeped off, prompting the Briton to leave the computer as it loaded the email inbox.

Upon returning to the computer, Cecilia was surprised to find two messages waiting for her. The first was from Chelsea. **"Milady, I have been working hard at the manor house. The good news is that the damage is not as bad as it could have been. There are a few shingles down, but otherwise the roof is intact. I have engaged one of the local handymen to set about the fixes. He assures me that the job will be done in two days, barring weather complications. After that, I will collect a few other items for you and then arrange my flight back to Kyoto and the Academy. If there is anything special you want from home, please don't hesitate to inform me. Your maid and friend, Chelsea."**

Her friend's words leaving a happy smile on her face, Cecilia opened the second message without checking the header. The Briton felt her mood die as she read the first line; suddenly forgotten food growing cold. **"Cecilia Alcott, Representative Candidate of Britain. Your last report was quite disconcerting. The fact that you lost to a novice in a Rafale Revive is disgraceful. While you are at the ISA do not lose sight of your mission and what is at stake for you. Failure to perform will result in the revocation of government support. Do not make such a mistake in the future. Colonel Elizabeth Rodgers, Department of IS Research."**

Mouth suddenly dry, the British teen's hands shook nearly uncontrollably as she closed the message. The monitor clicked off and Cecilia looked around in terror before her eyes settled on the room's oversized mirror. Navy blue eyes, normally so calm and aristocratic, were now the size of golf balls. Her lower lip was stuck between her teeth; nominally rose colored flesh had taken the same hue as the Briton's skin. A single bead of scarlet ran it's way between the pale lips.

Breath coming short, Cecilia looked around the room to find escape from her problem. The British girl felt fresh sweat on her forehead as navy orbs locked onto the nightstand between the wall and the four post bed. Hope flourished in the blond teen's chest as she almost ran to the furniture. _It's just as well that Chelsea isn't here,_ Cecilia thought wryly to herself. _She wouldn't approve of this._

Near panicked hands frantically opened the single drawer. Reaching past a few knickknacks, the British teen fumbled with the object of her desire. Finally extracting her salvation, Cecilia quickly closed the drawer and sat down on the near edge of the bed. Left hand wrapped held tightly to her chest, the Briton loosened the sash of her robe and let the fabric fall to the crook her left arm. Passing the contents of her left hand to her right, Cecilia extended her fingers as she raised the free arm across her body. Even as the hand came up, a voice in her mind screamed and cried as the blond teen fought to stop the shaking of her fingers. _I won't do much. Just enough to get control. To feel better,_ Cecilia thought to herself, repeating the ritual mantra she used.

Heavy pounding on the wooden door brought the Briton to a motionless state; the contents of her right hand's delicate fingers were within centimeters of the bared lower portion of her left biceps. Panic rising to a level that nearly consumed the blond girl's mind, Cecilia tried to come up with a solution. _WHY NOW?!_ she raged mentally even as the aggressive knocking repeated. "Wh—who is it?" stammered the British teen, desperately trying to keep her voice calm.

The door swung open, bringing the blond teen's panic to new heights. Cecilia's left hand quickly reseated her robe on her shoulder even as the right dropped to her side and palmed it's contents into a pocket. Lingyin Huang strode confidently into the Briton's bedroom with an air of ownership; the Chinese girl's pigtails fluttered in the rapid wake of her passage. Emerald orbs tracked around the room's opulent decor, clearly unimpressed by what they perceived. "Oh good, this is your room," Lingyin half muttered obnoxiously. "I was getting annoyed trying to find you."

Standing up, Cecilia walked around her bed to face the intruder who was paying close attention to the music stand. "What—what do you want here Ms. Huang?"

The petite girl said nothing as she gave the Briton a once over. Risking a look away from the fiery Chinese girl, Cecilia glanced at the mirror and was shocked by what she saw in the reflection. Her pink robe was open to the sash at her waist; the spacing accentuated her flat stomach and nearly had her breasts exposed to the shorter girl. Blushing, the blond girl quickly straightened the cloth and tightened the sash. "Why are you here, Lingyin?" Cecilia asked, her frustration getting the better of her.

Opening the violin case, Lingyin gave the instrument inside a cursory glance. One finger reached out to rub a string near the top. Cecilia hissed at the callous treatment and moved towards the smaller girl. "Don't touch that!" she snapped angrily.

As the Briton moved to within arm's reach, Lingyin finally showed a reaction. Keeping her body completely still, the petite Chinese teen turned only her head to face the room's owner. Startled, the blond girl felt her anger die even as she remembered how fast Lingyin could strike. Preparing Blue Tears for rapid deployment, the British teen held herself ready to defend any possible attack. Emerald eyes tracked the position of the Briton coldly; Cecilia could feel the potential threat radiate off the skinny girl. "Stop calling me 'Lingyin'," the Chinese girl admonished bluntly. "I hate it the way you pronounce it 'Linen'. I lived in Japan for a while, and my friends here called me 'Rin'. Even you should be able to say that."

Cecilia flushed at the demeaning treatment afforded her. The dark haired teen paid no attention as she stepped past the Briton and walked over to the desk. Examining the package of food, Rin deftly snagged one piece and popped it into her mouth. The Chinese teen's lips had barely closed before she immediately spat out the morsel, scowling at the taste. Cecilia watched in horror as the offending food landed on her desk. "You actually eat that garbage?" Rin asked, shocked. "It's no wonder you lost to an amateur."

A renewed burst of anger colored the blond girl's face, hardening navy eyes. "If you don't like it, you're more than welcome to leave," Cecilia intoned sternly.

Unfazed by the taller teen's attitude, Rin finally brought herself to face Cecilia. "Maybe in a minute. First though, I have a question."

Still unnerved by the smaller girl, the British teen fought to keep her face calm. "A question?" echoed Cecilia, her voice barely above a whisper. Navy eyes locked on emerald as the Briton built up her resolve. "Very well. If it will let me be rid of your intrusion, what is your question?"

"Why did you stop me when I attacked that redheaded girl last week?" The inquiry, delivered guilelessly, rocked Cecilia with the force of a blow to the head. Staggering from the mental shock, the British girl almost missed the followup statement. "From what I've heard around campus, I figured you would have enjoyed watching me pound her."

"I—I'm sorry, but I missed your question," stammered the Briton. Though she was clear the other girl had spoken English, Cecilia could not make any sense of the question.

Emerald eyes narrowed as she moved closer to the taller teenager, Rin repeated herself slowly and clearly. "Why. Did. You. Stop. Me?"

Reflexively stepping away from the intruder, one hand came up to cover the blond girl's lips. _Why did I stop her? Would watching Kirika get beat have been that bad a thing?_ Mulling over her problem, the Briton closed her eyes and turned away from the petite girl. Sitting down on the edge of her four-post bed, Cecilia wracked her brain for an answer. "I suppose," the blond teen started, shifting her position to face her erstwhile guest. "I suppose the answer is that I stopped you because attacking Kirika with your IS was rude. Had you merely lashed out at her, I would have done nothing. But using your IS to augment the attack was rude," Cecilia concluded, her voice calm in it's certainty. "And if nothing else, I abhor rudeness."

Rin's face clouded up as she listened to the taller girl's statement. For a brief instant, Cecilia felt a distinct tinge of fear as the skinny girl's emerald eyes became the tiniest of slits. Heart racing, panic started to cloud the Briton's judgment. In her mind, Cecilia saw herself extracting the contents of her pocket for the relief it provided. Finding herself past the point of caring what the Rin might think, the blond teen's hand slid itself into the robe's pocket and wrapped itself around the object within. Delicate fingers shivered with excitement as they started to leave the cloth enclosure. A voice not unlike her late mother's rang clearly in her mind as she envisioned the relief that was to come.

Only to be stopped completely as the Chinese girl's eyes opened and her face relaxed. "Okay," Rin admitted suddenly, "I guess I can see what you're getting at. Not that I understand the reasoning, but I can at least see it."

Allowing herself a very shallow sigh, Cecilia relaxed the grip of her right hand while keeping the limb still. The Briton locked her navy eyes on the skinny teen as she forced herself to maintain her composure. "Is there something else?" Cecilia asked archly, doing her best impersonation of Chifuyu Orimura.

Shrugging, Rin walked silently back towards the door. Pausing as she reached for the handle, the Chinese girl looked back over her shoulder. "Why don't you meet me for lunch tomorrow? I want to know more about that redheaded girl." Hesitating at the suggestion, the Briton thought furiously to come up with a suitable answer. Turning back towards the room's occupant, Rin gave the blond teen a devilish grin. "I promise it'll be better than that slop you're eating now."

Not trusting her voice, Cecilia nodded meekly towards the smaller girl. Rin flashed another snaggletoothed smile back as she opened the door. "You know, you can leave your toy here so it doesn't distract you so much," teased Rin maliciously as she left the room.

Finally alone again, Cecilia sunk to the floor's thick carpet as the tension drained away from her. "Well, that was...interesting," the Briton muttered to no one in particular.

—*—

Golden hues framed Kirika as she walked into the main hallway of the Maintenance Branch. Blinking hazel eyes against the comparatively darker interior, the redheaded pilot strode smoothly into the labyrinth-like corridors of the building. Winding past a number of classrooms and simulation rooms, Kirika noted the number of students who seemed to focus on her.

 _Seems the rumor mill is in full operation,_ the novice pilot thought as she tried not to fixate on the cyan ribbon around her neck. _Maybe if I wasn't a first year, things might be different._ A wry smile creased the teen's thin lips. _And maybe pigs are going to fly out of my ass._ Sliding past two overall-clad students in a heated argument, Kirika walked through an open door into the primary repair bay.

The noise in the bay was just as loud as the last time. A blending of metal tools at work, powered winches hoisting and human voices cursing and screaming created a cacophony that rendered talk all but impossible. Even after years of being in shops just as loud, the redheaded pilot found her ears ringing from the abuse they were subjected to. Gritting her teeth, Kirika wove her way past groups of students towards the office in the corner.

Coming up the office's closed door, the Japanese class representative rapped hard and waited patiently. Kirika barely had time to relax before a muffled voice called out, "Come in." Opening the door, the redheaded pilot found Maintenance Branch Chief Pickett nonchalantly leaning back in her chair. "Come in and close the door behind ya," the instructor prompted, swinging her feet back under the desk.

Kirika pushed the door closed with one hand as she strode towards the older woman. Coming to a stop near the department head, the teen held herself at rigid attention as she waited to be recognized. Looking up from her paperwork, Chief Pickett glanced back at the redheaded pilot. "Oh, siddown and stop being so formal lil' bit." The older woman waited a moment as the student sat gingerly in the closer chat. "Ain't got time for ya to play at things. So consider yaself ordered to speak your mind."

Blinking at the unusual statement, the Japanese student struggled to find the right words. "I guess I'm worried about my upcoming match with Lingyen Huang," Kirika admitted sheepishly.

The pen that had been grading papers stopped instantly at the statement. "Come again?" Amanda Pickett asked, disbelief in her voice. "The same little punkette who was sure she'd win against her own classmate is worried? What has this world come down to." Kirika's face turned a shade of red that nearly matched her hair at the characterization. Even as she opened her mouth to protest, the instructor continued on. "Lil' bit, are ya afraid because she beat ya up in front of the class?"

Kirika paused in her retort to think about her feelings. Thin lips closed and pursed as conflicting emotions bounced in the teen's head. Coming to a conclusion, Kirika settled her hazel gaze on the seated instructor. "I wouldn't say I got beat up," she admitted. "But I might have a touch of fear."

Chief Pickett nodded once at the statement. "Yeah, I reckon so," the older woman agreed. "Of course, since ya got sucker punched once being a little afraid might be understandable."

Blinking hard at the description, the redheaded student felt a twinge of pain in her chest. "What...?" Kirika nearly whispered. "How did you know about that?"

The instructor flashed a crooked smile. "Heard a couple of my trainees talk. Hard to imagine there's a second spitfire redheaded class representative. And checking with Instructor Tetsuhara gave me the rest of the details."

"But Mrs. Tetsuhara didn't say anything when she caught us in the locker room!" Kirika protested, almost rising from her chair.

Chief Pickett motioned with one grease-stained hand, calming the volatile student. "Of course not. Had you wanted to press the matter, she might have done something. Just because you're here in the Academy doesn't mean we're going to immediately punish ya for scuffles like that." Brown eyes narrowed as a thought crossed the teacher's mind. "Kid, ya might be smart at some things, but you're downright stupid at others. The Academy is meant to teach y'all how to use an IS, but its also a school. That means it gits to teach y'all how to interact with other people, however difficult they may be."

Mouth dropping open at the nearly bizarre concept, the redhead's lips moved aimlessly as Kirika processed the instructor's words. The older woman smothered the grin she felt as understanding dawned in the teen's hazel eyes. Nodding as Kirika's shoulders came out of their slump, Chief Pickett picked up her pen and reached for the stack of papers. "Now was there anythin else, lil bit?"

The redheaded representative's mouth closed with an audible click as Kirika's mind caught up to the situation. "Uh..." the Japanese girl stammered, reaching for the words. "Is there a bay open? I think I need to make some adjustments to my Raiko."

Waving the pen towards the door, Chief Pickett grunted a response. "Pretty sure bay six is open. If ya need help, ask Nafosa or Utsuho and tell them I'm authorizing it." The words had scarcely left the older woman's mouth before the teen bowed respectfully and dashed out the office door.

—*—

As night's comforting embrace descended onto the Academy grounds, the students and faculty settled into their rooms for the night. In one spartan residence, Chifuyu Orimura worked diligently at her desk. Or at least she tried to work. Dark eyes drifted lazily over the latest quizzes, barely noticing the incorrect answers of her students. Instead, the teacher's gaze kept returning to the computer terminal on the desk, and the message displayed on it. Her worry growing, Chifuyu opened the lowest drawer on her right side and withdrew a bottle of scotch and a glass. Both got set onto the surface as a foot nudged the opening shut.

Pouring a sloppy measure of the amber liquid into the tumbler, the former Brunhilde drained her drink in a single swallow. Savoring the burning tingle on her tongue, Chifuyu refilled her glass and glared at the terminal in an effort to change the message. The tumbler came off the desk even as the bedroom door came open and Maya Yamada walked in with the slightest rustle of fabric from her yellow dress. The junior teacher had a second stack of papers in her hands, taking a practiced scan of the room. Chifuyu, seated at her desk in her track suit, perfectly normal. But it was the sight of her friend holding the glass that stopped the junior teacher cold. Quickly stepping past the doorway, Maya quietly shut the door behind her, never taking her olive gaze off the senior instructor.

"What's wrong Chifuyu," Maya asked softly in Japanese as she moved towards her friend. "You've been good about keeping your drinking to the weekends." Frowning at the dripping concern in her junior's voice, the dark haired teacher drank her scotch and motioned at the computer screen with her empty glass. Leaning over her senior, Maya read the brief message being displayed. "The German government requests that you accept their trainee into your class?"

Chifuyu just grunted as she refilled her glass a third time. The junior instructor placed one hand gently on her friend's arm, keeping the older woman from drinking. Dark eyes flared in outrage once, but Chifuyu kept her silence. "I'm not sure I see the problem, Orimura-sensei. We still have a few spaces left in our class. One more person wouldn't be a difficulty."

Breaking the shorter woman's grip, the dark haired instructor drained her glass in a single gulp. The tumbler came down solidly onto the desk with a resounding thump. "The problem," Chifuyu began, her voice carrying a hint of a slur from the alcohol, "is that I know the particular trainee."

That statement earned a hard blink as Maya turned to face her companion. Chifuyu's model-quality features were flushed, and the shorter woman could see dark eyes blood-shot even through their dilated nature. "And why is that a problem, Orimura-sensei?" Maya prompted gently.

Pushing away from the desk, the former Brunhilde turned to face her assistant. Drawing up her will, Chifuyu concentrated on what she wanted to say. "Four years ago, my brother Ichika was kidnapped by a still unknown group. I got info from the German government to go and rescue him, but—" the dark haired woman's voice broke as memories overwhelmed her. Maya gripped her friend's hands consolingly as she waited for the story to resume. A soft hiccup that was almost a sob escaped the seated woman momentarily. "But," Chifuyu continued, "he died in the rescue attempt.

"Regardless, at the time of his abduction, I had offered to help with the German program for the information. After his funeral, I went to Germany and worked with their IS pilot development." Bloodshot eyes looked up past the now-taller woman's glasses to fix on Maya's olive gaze. A wry smile broke the seated teacher's steely face. "In a lot of ways, it was a good choice at the time. I threw myself wholly into the work. It was similar to dealing with the students now, except the German military had a few less restrictions than we do here."

Maya smiled halfheartedly at the joke. "Your severe teaching methods have been the highlight of many staff meetings," the green-haired teacher acknowledged. "I swear, if it wasn't for the overall test results of your classes and the performance of your graduates, we'd both be out of a job."

Chifuyu's smile grew brittle as she launched back into her story. "Anyway, I managed to lose track of time as I worked for them. I remember going over reports one night in my room, doing lesson plans for the next couple of weeks. I checked the dates on the calendar and abruptly realized it was Ichika's birthday tomorrow. 'I can't believe I forgot that, I'll have to mail him something priority and give him a call to wish him well,' I thought."

Gasping as she intuited the story's outcome, Maya reached consolingly for the taller woman's hands. "Then it all came back to me. His kidnapping, my rescue attempt," Chifuyu admitted in a deathly calm tone. The next words came out fast and harsh. "My failure. Having Ichika die in my arms."

A shiver went down the younger woman's spine as tears threatened to form in her olive eyes. The senior teacher failed to notice, lost in her memories. "The weight of what happened overwhelmed me. I decided I wouldn't, I couldn't live with myself. Went into my private bathroom. Broke the mirror," Chifuyu paused to roll her wrists up, displaying a series of vicious scars. "I took the biggest shard and slashed my wrist. Got three good cuts and then moved to my other hand."

Whimpering in shared agony, Maya pulled her friend into a tight embrace. The elder teacher's voice continued, muffled as it came out of the shorter woman's buxom chest. "One of my trainees had come to check on me because I hadn't been at dinner with them like usual. They found me, got help and managed to save my life."

Chifuyu's voice paused as a couple of sobs wracked her body. Maya kept one hand in her friend's dark hair as the other moved soothingly along the older woman's back. The two women remained like that for a period, Chifuyu crying and Maya holding her close. As the tears stopped falling onto the tops of her breasts, Maya drew a shallow breath to calm herself. "We've been working together for three years. And I'd like to think we've been friends all that time. So why didn't you tell me this before now, Orimura-sensei," she whispered softly.

"Because I wanted to forget how weak I was, Yamada-kun." The words, delivered in a matter-of-fact tone, brought new tears to olive eyes that made Maya's glasses nearly useless. Struggling with her own emotions, the younger woman leaned her head against the dark locks pressed into her cleavage.

After composing herself, Maya muttered into the crown of her friend's head. "I would never think you're weak, Chifuyu." The elder teacher made no sign of having heard the message. Soft warm pulses passed through the fabric of Maya's dress in time with her companion's breath. Giving Chifuyu a couple of moments longer to compose herself, the younger woman thought furiously to find a solution. "So what do you want to do about the new student?" Maya inquired delicately. "We can always tell them that we don't have space in the class."

The former Brunhilde pushed herself away from the standing woman's embrace and wiped at bloodshot eyes. A sniffle or two took years off the woman's face, giving her the appearance of a small child who had had a rough day. "No," Chifuyu admitted, her voice thoughtful. "If they're sending who I think they are, then I would be the best choice for dealing with her. Yes we have previous history. But I have to believe we can use that past to help keep her under control."

Frowning at the logic being presented, the green-haired teacher considered her options. "Well okay," Maya conceded. "Does Director Bogdanova know about this request and the implications?"

"That white-haired witch?" Chifuyu asked, standing and moving away from her desk. "I have to guess she does. But we both know she'd probably flash that Mona Lisa smile and refuse to answer any questions if we asked. But since the request had to come through channels, Bogdanova would have been at least given a copy." The dark haired teacher's voice paused as a thought crossed her mind. "Hell, she probably authorized the request knowing my history."

Maya grunted noncommittally as she turned back towards the door. The younger woman had managed to take only one step in the direction of the exit before a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. Glancing back over her shoulder, Maya saw her coworker's face flushed with a different sort of intoxicant. "Chifuyu...?"

The senior teacher tipped her head forward and grazed her lips on the exposed collarbone. "Well, since you're here now," Chifuyu murmured, the sensation of her hot breath against cool skin eliciting a shiver from the shorter woman, "and you did say we were friends..."

"Well maybe 'friends' was the wrong choice of words," Maya admitted huskily. Olive eyes closed as a set of kisses trailed up to the lobe of her right ear. "And you've been drinking scotch, which tends to make you horny..." Maya quipped. Chifuyu responded by rimming the shorter woman's ear, then sucking the lobe between her teeth. A moan escaped the assistant teacher's lips as she felt her body start to warm up to the idea.

Disengaging herself carefully, Maya twisted in her senior's grip to bring the two women face to face. Tilting her head back, the junior teacher parsed her lips open to receive the waiting kiss. Curling her tongue around Chifuyu's, Maya let herself fall into familiar patterns as the taller woman's hands pulled them closer. Exhilarated by the smoky taste of whisky in her friend's mouth, the green-haired occupant felt a smile crease her lips in between kisses.

Olive eyes snapped open as Chifuyu's hands slid down to her voluptuous ass and squeezed hard. Before she could breathe a protest, the former Brunhilde lifted the younger teacher off the ground with casual strength. Maya quickly hooked her legs over Chifuyu's hips and shifted her head to kiss the taller woman's neck, suckling lightly at she felt herself being carried.

Two fast paces brought the firm mattress of the bed under the two lover's bodies. Comforted by the weight under her, Maya leaned forward and pulled her dress over her head before settling on the simple furniture. Throwing the garment to the side, the junior teacher took off her glasses and carefully set them onto the nightstand. Chifuyu unzipped her track suit top to reveal a functional black lace bra; the pants slid down to show off matching underwear. Tipping forward, the older woman fell onto her reclining lover, barely catching her weight on strong arms. Pressed momentarily in the mattress, the green-haired teacher felt a minor thrill as her senior resumed kissing at the exposed collarbone.

Moving downward with each kiss, the former Brunhilde grazed her lips into the open neckline of Maya's reinforced bra. Dragging her tongue along the tops of the massive breasts, Chifuyu slid her hands behind her lover and undid the restraining garment. Amazed at the shape of the school's legendary bosom, even when lying down, the older woman took one puffy nipple into her mouth and suckled it.

A passionate moan started deep in Maya's chest before quickly sliding out opened lips. Encouraged, the raven-haired teacher tweaked the right nipple as her tongue danced on the left. The over-sized bra was tugged away by the free hand and was thrown carelessly off the bed. Breaking away from the object of her current attention, Chifuyu placed her head between the massive organs. Humming loudly into Maya's sternum, the elder woman proceeded to thrash her head amid the fleshy embrace.

Olive eyes closed as new waves of pleasure rolled through the green-haired teacher. Biting her lip to stifle the moan she felt, Maya wrapped dainty hands around her lover's shoulders. Pausing a moment to catch her breath, the senior teacher began a series of kisses, touches and caresses as she moved downward. As she reached the shorter woman's belly button, Chifuyu kissed the rim and earning a shudder from the supine instructor. Emboldened, the raven-haired teacher grazed around Maya's navel; each placement had the older woman's tongue trace letters from the Japanese alphabet on soft skin.

Maya hooked her hands under Chifuyu's arms and pulled before the senior teacher could move lower. Inquisitive eyes glanced back up momentarily as the raven-haired woman let herself be stopped. Working with her lover, Chifuyu slowly dragged her silk-clad breasts over the green-haired woman's exposed skin. Maya tensed up as her excitement hit a new peak when already erect nipples were teased by the simple motion Chifuyu offered.

Forcing her limbs to work in the glow of her small orgasm, Maya pulled her raven-haired senior higher. Understanding dawned in Chifuyu's eyes as she braced her arms against the wall and arched her back, pushing her breasts towards waiting lips. Tugging carefully at the fabric with her teeth, the younger woman exposed one nipple the color of potting soil. Taking the proffered nub firmly between her lips, Maya was rewarded as it distended and grew in her mouth.

The green-haired teacher ran her hands down her lover's sides to rest above the band of black panties. Gooseflesh erupted all along the Chifuyu's exposed skin as her body reacted to the ministrations it underwent. Skimming her fingertips upwards, Maya reached for the front closure of her lover's bra. Just shy of her goal, the green-haired teacher came across something unexpected that stopped her hand's journey. Olive eyes widened as Maya felt a scar situated beneath Chifuyu's breasts.

Noticing the abrupt interruption in the other woman's activity, the senior teacher's eyes looked down at her companion. Forestalling any comment, Chifuyu took hold of the younger woman's dainty hand and placed it between her own bosom. A momentary burst of concern crossed Maya's face; Chifuyu's strong hand squeezed lightly, working the younger woman's fingers like a puppeteer. The black satin bra fell open without a sound, the cups coming to rest under the former Brunhilde's arms. Olive eyes relaxed and softened before closing as Maya bent her head back and flicked a flattened tongue out against the exposed nipple. Chifuyu moaned softly as her body sang from attention paid to it.

The green-haired teacher had scarcely been working her lover's breasts before the taller woman tensed up and shook once. Leaning away from the wall, Chifuyu enjoyed the moment of bliss, focusing to keep the weight from pressing down on the woman underneath her. Maya raised her hips up to press against the taller woman's groin as a teasing glint settled in her olive eyes. Looking down, a seductive grin played out on Chifuyu's lips as possibilities danced in her mind..

Rolling to the side, the senior teacher pulled Maya into a sensuous kiss, their tongues dancing enthusiastically. Needing more from the contact, Chifuyu slipped her knee between the green-haired teacher's legs and bringing a toned thigh to rest against delicate folds. Olive eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, the green-haired teacher caught on immediately and copied her lover's action.

Satisfied, the former Brunhilde started rocking in an escalating rhythm; the activity earned a series of squeaks from the bed frame beneath the two women. Closing dark eyes against the building passion, Chifuyu savored the increasing tension brought about by the slender thigh against her womanhood. Maya's breath grew ragged in the senior teacher's ear; the tiniest hint of concern crossed Chifuyu's mind that a student might hear their activity. A new wave of pleasure rocked through the dark haired teacher, erasing any possible worries.

Panting quickly, Maya tensed up as her climax hit, dragging manicured nails against the toned muscles of her lover's back. Stifling a moan through clenched teeth, Chifuyu felt her own body reach a peak, but not go far enough. Olive eyes focused past the post-coital haze to see a face on the edge of release, triggering a fresh wave of desire in the shorter woman. Sliding one hand into sodden black panties, two dainty fingers worked their way in Chifuyu's dripping womanhood.

A gasp, muted in deference to the location, popped out of the raven-haired teacher's throat. Maya smiled lustily as she curled her encompassed fingers in just the way experience showed her lover enjoyed it most. Her thumb worked on it's own to reach out and caress a particularly extended nub.

The extra stimulation was just what was exactly what the raven-haired teacher needed. Strong arms wrapped tightly around the smaller woman, pulling Maya into a nearly smothering embrace. Chifuyu's dark eyes closed as she all but screamed her orgasm into her girlfriend's shoulder. As the waves of pleasure faded from her body, the raven-haired teacher collapsed onto her back, pulling her lover on top so their breasts continued to rub together.

The two women relaxed in the afterglow of their activities; athletic bodies completely drained from the exertions. Resting her head on Chifuyu's shoulder, Maya listened as the raven-haired teacher's breathing slowed to a normal pace. Skimming her right hand up a sweat-covered torso, the green-haired teacher stopped just shy of her lover's breasts. A shiver ran through the former Brunhilde but she said nothing.

"I don't recognize this one" Maya said quietly, tracing her fingers over the newest scar. "And I'd like to think I'd know about it given how often we do this sort of thing..."

Chifuyu grunted lightly but didn't open her eyes. The green-haired teacher sighed as she felt the rhythmic rise and fall of the older woman's chest under her. "You won't stop me by pretending to be asleep, Chifuyu," Maya warned in her strictest teacher's tone.

One dark eye opened halfway, appraising the stern expression on her paramour's face. "Who's pretending?" Chifuyu muttered as she let the eye close again. "You wore me out this time. But you're right, you don't recognize it. We've been a bit more distant the last couple of months," the former Brunhilde admitted sleepily. "This scar is the biggest reason. I didn't know how to tell you about it and was dreading having to explain what happened."

Maya frowned but waited for the explanation. The raven-haired teacher paused as she tried to find the right words, her lips going pale from the pressure against one another. "You remember when I visited Ichika's—", Chifuyu winced as the next word brought up new bile in her throat, "grave on his last birthday? While you were gone, someone else decided to pay me a visit. And he brought a very sharp friend with him."

Olive eyes grew to the size of golf balls as Maya's breath caught in her chest. Feeling the reaction through her skin, the former Brunhilde wrapped one arm around her lover's shoulders. "So I got attacked by this guy. Pretty good with his blade, but not good enough. I got this scar before I could finally took away his toy and break it. We talked for a while, and he came to realize it was a terrible misunderstanding." A tiny twinge of guilt crossed Chifuyu's mind as she lied to her girlfriend, but it was the minority voice at the moment.

A normally happy person, Maya breathed a quick prayer of thanks that her lover's eyes were closed. Had those dark orbs been paying attention, Chifuyu might have seen the look of sheer anger on the younger woman's face. As it was, Maya felt a cold numbness settle in her chest. "Why didn't you tell me about it sooner Chifuyu? I've been upset that I did something wrong all this time."

The draped hand lifted slightly before it moved down to settle around the younger woman's waist. "I guess..." the former Brunhilde started softly, the words coming hesitantly. "I guess it's because I didn't want to worry you. If you had known about it, you might have told administration and they could have put a security detail on me." Brown eyes opened to fix Maya with a sobering look. "I don't think I could live with myself having a bunch of people surrounding me for my _protection_."

Nodding mechanically at the statement, the green-haired teacher closed her olive eyes in thought. _I probably would have contacted administration,_ Maya admitted to herself. _And they would have put a detail on her. Admin's attitude tends to be a bit excessive when it comes to protecting it's interests. But there might be another way._ Leveraging herself up somewhat, the junior teacher brought her face close to her lover's. "Chifuyu, I won't tell admin about what happened. But you have to be honest with me from here on out, okay? I love you after all, and that should count for something."

Chifuyu blinked in shock as the words sunk in. "I'm sorry Maya. I know you love me. Maybe that's part of the problem. I just didn't want to ruin the image you have of me. Just promise me that you won't go super-protective on me, Maya?"

Opening her eyes, the younger woman locked the dark-haired teacher with a serious gaze. "I will protect you, Chiufuy-sensei, but I will still leave you some space." Chifuyu started to speak, but was interrupted by a gesture from the shorter woman. "You promise me that will **not** keep anything like this from me in the future. If I find out you held something back from me, not only will I tell admin, but we'll be through. Deal?"

The answer came of it's own accord. "Deal."

* * *

A/N: Okay, I had intended to get this story updated sooner. I'm working on it, but I won't promise much more. The holdiays are coming, and that's a lot of reasons to lose time. But it'll get worked on even in the offtimes, so I should have another chapter soon.

And yes, I did motorboat Maya. THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON WHO'S SEEN THE PIC THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T GIVEN THE CHANCE. Go on and disprove my theory on that one, please.

As always, thanks to my beta Tri92edge, your feedback is essential to making these scenes work out. You guys are all benefiting from his work.

Lastly, read, review, follow and favorite as you want please! (But the latter three are helpful to make sure I'm working at my best for you!)

 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
The great fights with your strongest rivals are always the biggest motivation.  
When you win easily it's not the same taste.  
-Valentino Rossi

Standing alone in the middle of the preparation bay, Kirika Nakano closed her hazel eyes as her heart thundered in her chest. Hands clenched almost involuntarily, knuckles making the slightest of pops with each contraction. The cool air of the bay tickled on skin left bare by the abbreviated coverage of the IS suit.

A whoosh of air signaled the door to the bay as it admitted a second visitor. Cracking her eyes open, Kirika saw her roommate walk in confidently. Houki's oval face had a determined set as her sapphire eyes gave a practiced scan of the room. Finding no one, the kendoka walked within arm's reach of the shorter teen before stopping. "I thought I'd find you here," Houki muttered neutrally.

"Hey roomie," Kirika said warmly as hazel eyes shut again. "How's the competition going?"

"Well, it's fun to watch at times," the kendoka admitted indifferently. "They're moving right along. Class five won their match handily. Truthfully, that Kanzashi person from class four looked to have some troubles with her IS. While it wasn't completely one-sided, it was a bit ugly to watch."

Mulling over the info, the redheaded representative pursed her lips thoughtfully. Running through the relaxation technique Houki had taught her, Kirika tried in vain to dismiss her worries. "I suppose I shouldn't ask," the pilot stated, her voice as nonchalant as possible, "but what are folks saying about my match?"

"You're right, you shouldn't ask," Houki replied almost immediately. Even with hazel eyes shut, the redhead could hear the frown on her roommate's face. Taking one breath and holding it, Kirika felt her stomach cramp at the sentiment.

Releasing the pent-up breath slowly, the redheaded student sent out the mental command that summoned her Raiko. An electric tingle rushed across exposed skin briefly before the IS answered the call and appeared on it's pilot. Opening her eyes, Kirika looked down to meet the kendoka's sapphire gaze. "About what I expected really. I figure the odds are worse than my match with Cecilia. You going to watch the fight with Charlotte?"

Raven ponytails swished once in mute response. "She offered to let me sit with her, but I think I'll go it alone."

"Well, I guess I'd better be going." Kirika muttered more to herself. Raiko's PIC engaged and the IS started to float off the ground. Shifting towards the exit tunnel, the redheaded pilot tossed one last remark over her shoulder. "I can't leave our little spitfire waiting now can I?"

"Rika-chan." Turning at the sound of her name being called, the class representative found a somewhat unusual scene. Houki had her right hand extended towards her roommate, fist closed and raised to shoulder height. "I..." the kendoka started in Japanese, her voice nearly breaking. "I won't tell you to go out and win. But I do want you to be careful."

The words sent a new series of cramps in the redheaded pilot's stomach. Settling the IS back on the bay floor, Kirika tapped the flesh with her own right fist, careful not to harm her roommate with the metal gauntlet. "You should know me better than that by now, roomie," Kirika teased with a carefree smile. "I don't really do 'careful'. But I will do my best." The IS floated away from the ground and turned silently, breaking the moment between the two teens. Looking back over her shoulder, Kirika's hazel eyes shone with a mischievous glint. "Besides, I'd hate to force anyone else to learn how to deal with you as a roommate."

Houki's face flushed as her classmate flew out of the preparation bay, leaving the raven-haired teen alone in the now-empty room. "I have no idea what she meant by that," the kendoka admitted.

—*—

Soaring out into the arena, Kirika checked her HUD for the fourth time in ten seconds. Finding nothing wrong, the redheaded teen took a moment to scan the arena as she closed in on her opponent. The sight before her froze the first year pilot in place. The arena seating was a wall of white with splashes of color in various clumps spread at random intervals. Kirika's mouth went dry as comprehension dawned on her. "Oh damn," she muttered awestruck, "is the entire academy in this arena right now?"

**"Very possibly,"** Lingyin responded tartly, the Chinese girl's voice sharp in the redhead's ear. **"But what would you expect when they came to watch a real fight?"**

The redheaded pilot glanced over her shoulder expecting to find Lingyin right there. Relaxing slightly from the lack of threat, hazel eyes turned back towards the center of the arena. The IS opened a window and presented an arrow tracking the image. Kirika followed the prompting to see her opponent floating in mid-air, arms splayed aggressively.

A mass of ice formed in the redhead's stomach at the sight of the new IS, the chill spreading throughout her body. The Chinese IS was purple overall, with two black shoulders bigger than the pilot's head. The limbs had a streamlined, efficient look that Kirika's practical mind couldn't help but admire. Any artistry the design might have had was ruined by the two curved blades held menacingly by the pilot. Each massive weapon had a nasty curve with a jutting protrusion at the midpoint. _One of the biggest things to remember about a sword,_ came Houk's voice unbidden, _is that the function of it will determine it's form. On a working blade you can't overlook anything._

Focusing intently on the shape of the sword, Kirika tried to assess the usage of it. _Big blade and solid looking edge to it. Probably a real pain to swing, but I don't like that extra curve in it._ Servomotors whined slightly as Raiko's left hand clenched on the gun at the unconscious input from it's pilot. Taking a short breath to calm herself, the redheaded representative drained some tension from her arms and relaxed the death-grip on her controls. _If that's all she has, I just need to be accurate and keep my distance. But I can't be that lucky._ "Are you sure you can give me a real fight with only a pair of swords, short round?"

Both blades pinwheeled in opposite directions as a response; the heavy swords completed three revolutions before stopping. Placing the swords into a standard fighting pose, left arm forward and right in a high guard, the Chinese teen flashed a vicious grin to her opponent. Feeling her stomach flipflop again, Kirika fought to maintain her composure. Shouldering her sub-machine gun, the Japanese pilot lined up the target with only a moment's hesitation. The radio squelched as the redheaded pilot's finger tightened on her trigger. **"Since both of you seem to be ready,"** came the stern voice of Chifuyu Orimura, **"let's get this match underway. The battle will be over when one of you is out of shield power. Now begin!"**

Lingyin started moving the instant the radio clicked off. Cutting Shenlong's PIC off, the IS dropped like a stone to the ground. The sudden action caused Kirika's first volley to go high; sparks cascaded as the bullets splattered themselves futilely on the arena's shield. Engaging her thrusters at full power, the Chinese teen closed the distance with a roar to match her IS' namesake.

Blinking at the miss of her first burst, Kirika squeezed off a longer barrage. Tracers flashed between the two IS as Shenlong danced to evade incoming fire. Each bob and weave brought the purple IS closer towards it's victim as bullets missed by the narrowest of margins. Voraciously eating through it's clip, the gun's ammo readout on the redhead's HUD plummeted. Snarling as the gun locked empty, Kirika sent out a command for a reload even as she grabbed at the second weapon in her arsenal.

Too late. Shenlong accelerated into a jet powered lunge, the huge scimitar point-on at the Japanese teen's head. The heavy blade created a breeze in it's passage that whipped multicolored bangs into a frenzy as Kirika reflexively leaned back to dodge. Engaging her thrusters, Kirika backpedaled just in time to catch a slash from the right scimitar. Raiko's shields flared as the edge caressed them, shifting hazel eyes frantically to the HUD. **[Shields: 542.]**

—*—

Watching from the control room, Houki felt her heart jump in her chest at Kirika's near dodge. The kendoka's rational mind kept screaming as her roommate evaded a flurry of slashes from Lingyin's large scimitars. A tiny part of the teen's brain noted dispassionately the openness of the Chinese pilot's techniques; her aggressive attacks left wide holes the kendoka wanted to exploit.

Turning away for a moment, Houki closed sapphire eyes as she tried to control her breathing. _I guess it wasn't such a good idea to watch the match after all. But it was nice of Yamada-sensei to offer._ Opening her eyes, the kendoka tracked the moderately lit room. Chifuyu Orimura's face was slack as she mechanically drank from a mug. The teacher's dark eyebrows were drawn into the smallest expression of disapproval at the monitor. Cecilia's presence had come as a surprise to the raven-haired teen; the Briton had kept an aloof air even after her reconciliation with the class representative. The other girl's navy eyes were fixated on the screen with a visible mixture of longing and excitement.

"In a way, this fight seemed destined," Chifuyu murmured over the rim of her cup.

"What do you mean?" Cecilia asked sharply without breaking contact of the monitor.

The teacher kept her dark gaze on the screen as she moved towards the coffee maker in the corner. "Well," Chifuyu said as her hands worked automatically to fix the cup, "Kirika's IS is called 'Raiko'. In English, you could translate that as 'lightning tiger'. And Lingyin's IS is named 'Shenlong' in Chinese. Depending on the characters you use, that could come up 'dragon'. Do you know the story of the tiger and the dragon, Houki?"

Fighting to take her eyes off the monitor, the raven-haired teen almost missed the question. "Huh?" Houki stammered as her concentration broke. "The dragon and the tiger? Yes, I've heard of it." Returning her sapphire gaze to the fight on the screen, the kendoka found her voice dropping to a muted tone. "It's part of some of the Chinese philosophies. I know it's part of feng shui, and I think I remember something about it being part of a couple different martial arts schools use it. The tiger's job is to challenge the dragon and take away it's power, but the two end up stalemated a lot. The one picture I remember seeing of them is that yin/yang form of the two animals."

Chifuyu's eyebrows raised slightly at the teen's attitude during her impromptu lecture, but said nothing. It was the other instructor who earned everyone's attention. "Come on, come on!" Maya whispered fervently to the screen as the image changed.

—*—

Panting, Kirika reassessed her opponent. "Not bad," she admitted breathlessly. Shouldering the new weapon, a different set of warnings appeared on the HUD. The Chinese pilot's head jerked as Lingyin recognized the gun. Placing trust in her IS' sights, the redheaded teen squeezed the trigger once.

Emitting a deep metallic burp, the grenade launcher fired out a single round. Lingyin rolled to the side as the over-sized shell passed harmlessly by the purple IS. Wincing at the miss, Kirika realigned the gun as she maneuvered her Raiko to a better position. Three more times the grenade launcher fired; each time the shells were evaded by narrow margins as the Chinese pilot played matador to the dangerous rounds. Taking a quick glance at her HUD, Kirika fought to keep the wince off her face at the display. **[Ammo: 4]** "What's the matter shorty? Afraid to get in close while I've got this out?" Kirika mocked as she lined up another shot.

Raiko's computer opened a window and displayed an enlarged image of Lingyin's face. Kirika felt the knot of ice in her stomach grow upon seeing the confident smirk on the shorter girl's face. "Well, if you insist," the Chinese pilot boasted as the shoulders of her IS started glowing, "here's what I call a jab!"

The sudden shockwave hurled Kirika backwards with vicious ferocity. Dazed from the impact, the redheaded pilot rolled with the motion of the assault to gain the safety of distance. A second blast rocked the white and orange IS as Kirika engaged her thrusters at their maximums to the accompaniment of a heavy whine. Banking and sideslipping, the novice pilot saw her shields drop as explosions bracketed her. **[Shields: 421]**

From her higher position, Lingyin fired off another series of shots, Shenlong's HUD displaying the blasts with a spectral-colored overlay. Grinning triumphantly as a volley engulfed the modified IS, the Chinese teen watched elated as her opponent faltered. "You know, you surprise me," Lingyin admitted mockingly. "Ryuhou's barrels and ammo are invisible, so I was sure you'd lose the instant I deployed it." Eyeing the power level of her Shenlong, the petite pilot disengaged her canons and tightened her grip on her swords. "I could just blast you into scrap, but I wanted to see the look of defeat in your eyes up close." Cutting in her thrusters, Lingyin rocketed towards the Uchigane with hawk-like precision.

—*—

Amethyst eyes intent on the monitor, Charlotte felt her face scrunch up in concentration. "What kind of gun was zhat?"

A number of heads in the locker room turned towards the French girl, but no one readily answered. The pilots had frozen in various stages of changing their clothes; a couple dabbed at damp hair while completely naked. Every set of eyes present turned to watch the monitor even as new images flashed across the screen.

"If I had to guess, it's a variant of a shock canon," said an older looking teen as she fixed the red ribbon around her neck. "I remember seeing a paper discussing it soon after I started at the academy. Supposed to work by manipulating air pressure. Good at medium range, very dangerous up close. But it was largely theoretical back then." The senior girl drifted off as Kirika's Raiko was wreathed in explosions. "The Chinese have always been rather clever though. I guess this idea wasn't past their abilities."

Charlotte returned her gaze as the white and orange IS appeared from the smoke.

—*—

Pushing her engines to the limits, Kirika threw herself to the side as the Chinese pilot rushed downwards. The heavy blade missed the dodging IS's foot by a narrow margin, though still close enough to graze Raiko's shields. Realizing her danger, the redheaded teen spun to block Lingyin's followup, using her gun to stop the attack. Sparks flew as the Chinese pilot set more pressure against the obstruction, a wicked grin on thin lips. Kirika frowned as the left arm wavered and buckled towards her body, the sword incrementally moving towards her shields. Seeing the weakness in her opponent, Lingyin swung her left-hand sword in a slash that would disembowel a defenseless person.

Catching the movement in the corner of her eye, the Japanese pilot momentarily froze in lieu of the new attack. Heart surging after skipping a beat, Kirika released her right hand's grip on the gun and popped the claws from their sheathe. The charged blades caught the heavy sword smoothly; the energy running through the twinned weapons creating a pattern of sparks against Shenlong's defenses. Lingyin's eyes widened at the amateurish block but her emerald gaze flicked between the weapon and her HUD worriedly. **[Shields: 572. 568.]** "Not bad," the Chinese pilot admitted. "I'd heard stories about those claws of yours from others. But I wanted to see them myself."

Focused on the two weapons in front of her, Kirika tried to ignore the sweat running down between her shoulders. Rotating her gaze between settings, the Japanese teen's mind scrambled for a solution to the problem as the shorter girl pushed aggressively a second time. _This situation is fucked up,_ Kirika thought grimly. _I must have gotten really lucky with Cecilia._

Seeing the grimace on the redheaded pilot, Lingyin flashed a wicked grin and pushed harder. Struggling against the irresistible force presented, the Japanese teen felt herself being driven backwards. Raiko's HUD flashed a proximity warning as the wall rushed up to meet the IS. Without any time to brace herself, Kirika felt the IS shields flicker briefly as she hit the arena's perimeter. The momentary impact threatened to suck the air from her lungs even as the HUD updated itself. **[Shields: 389]**

_Badbadbad gotta move!_ Kirika raged mentally as she transmitted a flurry of commands to her IS. The computer responded instantly, diverting power to the engines according to the pilot's new programming. Screaming wordlessly at her opponent, the Japanese teen struggled for every centimeter of space away from the wall. The power levels on Raiko's HUD dipped from the demands put on the IS, but the gap from the edge increased slowly.

Emerald eyes lost their confidence as Lingyin found her Shenlong being matched by the older model IS. "I'm almost impressed," she snarled, having to scream over the roar of the engines. "To think you can get a second generation model to compare to mine is nearly praiseworthy. " The Chinese pilot's eyes hardened as Shenlong's shoulders glowed again. "Nearly."

Distracted by the sudden alert in her HUD, Kirika felt her mind blank at the threat in front of her. Before Lingyin could trigger her canon, a section of the far-side arena shields imploded in a thunderous roar. Both teens' heads snapped towards the commotion even as alarm klaxons rang throughout the entire stadium. Twin sets of green eyes focused on the voluminous cloud of dirt and smoke expectantly; the previous competition forgotten in lieu of the changed situation.

A rattle close by caught the redhead's attention. Risking a glance away from the smoke cloud, Kirika saw her IS' right hand shaking in place. The Japanese pilot shifted her attention to her fellow student as she willed her body to be still. Lingyin's face was locked in a mask of barely contained rage; the petite girl's emerald eyes had a pitiless expression as she waited for the smoke to clear. Emerging from the haze, the form looked humanoid enough. A new window opened unbidden, the IS presenting an enlarged and enhanced image of the intruder. Kirika felt her stomach clench up; the sudden spasm threatened to remove the light breakfast eaten only two hours before. Swallowing dryly to keep her composure, the Japanese teen focused on the details being shown to her.

Smoke still drifted off the new IS, clinging to black armor like a lover. A few tendrils passed between long fingers that ended in unpleasant-looking spikes. The overlarge limbs sent a chill down Kirika's spine. Each hand appeared to be bigger than the Japanese girl's head, and had unfamiliar objects along the nominal forearm. The pilot of the mysterious IS was completely shrouded: instead of the typical suit, she was wearing a full-length bodysuit and helmet. Five red sensors winked through the almost clear air, while Kirika noted a few odd bulges along the pilot's body. Red eyebrows crinkled as options were considered. _Is that extra armor on the pilot? Regardless, I don't like the look of it._

One arm swung towards the two floating competitors in a menace-filled gesture. Kirika barely noted the glow an energy buildup as she began to react, fear driving her movements with newfound speed. Placing both legs against the Chinese IS, the Japanese pilot surged her PIC briefly as she pushed away. Shenlong's computers noted the new energy field conflicting with it's shields and applied more power; the resulting collision put several meters between the two IS frames. Lingyin's locked onto the redheaded pilot instantly, emerald eyes blazing with hatred. Even as the petite teen tensed up to counterattack, a pink-white beam almost a meter in diameter crossed between the two girls.

The sudden attack caused both pilots to go evasive in a series of stomach-churning maneuvers. Slowing to a hover, Kirika eyed the HUD analysis of the attack. " _Kami,_ " the Japanese teen snarled, "that beam is way more powerful than Cecilia's!"

" **That was useful of you,"** Lingyin said over the competition channel.

Flashing a smirk as she trained on the unknown IS, Kirika glanced at her display briefly. **[Shields: 364]** "You're welcome, short round."

" **Contestant Nakano, contestant Huang come in!"** Maya Yamada screeched over the radio. **"Respond at once!"**

Toggling over to the school's general frequency, the redheaded pilot kept her attention inside the arena. "Go ahead Ms. Yamada, I read you."

" **You two need to evacuate to the preparation bay. The teachers are coming to deal with that intruder."** Maya's typical bubbly voice had flattened, making her seem older to the teens.

A disgusted snort came over the channel. **"Forget that!"** Lingyin growled through the radio, her voice promising creative violence. **"Anyone who wants to interrupt my match earns the beating they get."**

Grinning in spite of the situation, the Japanese student fought to keep laughter out of her voice. "I'm going to have to agree with Lingyin here I'm afraid. Right now, our guest is very interested in playing with us. If we leave, she might go after the folks in the stands."

" **But the teachers will be there shortly..."** Maya protested weakly.

Changing frequencies, Kirika eyed the motionless black IS. "How do you want to do this, Lingyin?"

The Chinese teen responded with an amused sounding grunt. **"If we're going to fight together, you might as well call me 'Rin'. I don't like how you say my name. But answer my question first: how's your IS equipped?"**

"Mid- and short-range," Kirika responded easily. "The grenade launcher and submachine gun for distance work; a combat knife and the claws for in-close."

" **I'm about the same,"** Rin conceded. **"Okay, to answer your question: I figure we can alternate. Your guns are a little better than my canons at range. I'll get in close and you support me as you can. I didn't break anything with my last attack did I?"**

Running a fast diagnostic on the weapon, the redhead felt the tension drain as nothing came up wrong. "Cosmetic mainly. You didn't breach the barrel so it's all good."

" **Okay then!"** Rin shouted as she she charged the unknown IS, her blades leading the way.

—*—

"Huang, come in!" Maya shouted in the headset as her voice climbed higher. "Nakano, respond at once!"

Looking up from her coffee, Chifuyu covered her smirk with the cup. "Oh come on, Maya. They've turned off their radios and won't listen to us. You might as well just have a drink while you enjoy the show." Pouring a second cup of coffee, the elder teacher misread the label of the boxes and added a measure of salt to the mug. "Here, three sugars just the way you like it."

"Ma'am I must protest," came a screech the back of the room. All three Japanese women turned to stare as Cecilia moved closer to the screen. "You must declare this an emergency and allow me to deploy my IS to support the two in the arena."

Cocking a dark eyebrow at the bold statement, the former Brunhilde took a considered sip as she turned to face her student. "I 'must' do something, _student_ Alcott?" The Briton's fair cheeks blushed furiously as she was put on the spot. Smirking at the teen's discomfort, Chifuyu prevented any response. "Okay, it's an emergency. But you won't be able to help out with this Cecilia."

Navy eyes glazed over in confusion at the contradictions. "Whatever do you mean, Ms. Orimura?" Cecilia asked neutrally.

Turning back towards the monitor, the teacher held out the second mug to her junior. "First off, the arena is in lockdown mode right now. All the doors are shut and sealed. That means we're effectively trapped in here right now. And even if you could get to the arena, you wouldn't be any help."

"Please, explain yourself," the Briton snarled crossly. Delicate hands were clenched as her shoulders shook.

Chifuyu glanced over at her student, noting carefully how upset the teen appeared. "Blue Tears is a solid machine, and you've got some skills. But right now YOU would be of no help to this situation." Seeing the blond girl's mouth open in protest, the former Brunhilde pressed on. "Blue Tears was designed to either engage multiple opponents at once or to overwhelm it's opponent with a savage flurry of attacks. Right now, this is a team situation. YOU wouldn't be able to help out in this sort of battle."

The former Brunhilde turned and fixed her dark gaze on the Briton. "Have you ever participated as part of a team? How many missions have you done? Who was in charge? What was your role in the mission? What tactics did your team employ, and how effective were they?" With each question, the blond teen's face radiated increasing doubt. A minor twinge of guilt broke the teacher's professional mask before it disappeared. "Let's face it, without team training, you couldn't help but make this situation worse."

Seeing Cecilia's crestfallen face, Chifuyu handed the coffee to her assistant. "Right now, the best chance for victory is to have faith in them."

Accepting the proffered mug with a nod, Maya sipped it once and winced. "Uh, Chifuyu, you put salt into this, not sugar." The former Brunhilde's cheeks burned in response, but she remained mute.

—*—

In the locker room, a state of near pandemonium hung in the air. Dozens of eyes were locked onto the monitor as their owners watched intently. Several students were sitting in a daze, and a few were sobbing uncontrollably. Stepping over one passed-out girl, Charlotte worked her way through the mass of students near the door. The French pilot slid past a nearly-nude student and found her path blocked by a pair of crossed arms. Amethyst eyes glanced up to see an instructor with a heavy scowl and attitude to match. "Just head back and sit down, student. We'll get out of here soon enough."

"Pardon, ma'am," Charlotte said apologetically. "I might have a way to get past zhrough zhe door."

Eyebrows raising at the statement, the teacher shifted and let the French student pass. Charlotte stepped closer to the doorway, eyeing the instructor and two students working at the control panel. "Pardon," she called out, just barely being heard over the commotion. "I can get zhrough zhe door, but I need you zhree to move."

The working women stopped and openly stared at the blond girl. "And just how do you plan on doing that first year?" One of the students asked indignantly. "I'm from the maintenance branch and I can't get it open."

Gesturing at the three, Charlotte merely smirked. Moving as far as the crowd would allow, the two students glared at the newcomer. The French pilot sent out a mental command and summoned her Rafale Revive to cover both hands. The orange IS responded at once, earning a gasp from the assembled women. Choosing her Bread Slicer combat knife, Charlotte slammed the blade in the seam of the door. The hideous screech made everyone cringe, but the hardened metal held fast. A quick twist and the the weapon opened a gap.

The motor to the door whined in protest as Charlotte slid her IS' free hand in the space. Bracing herself momentarily, the French girl pushed against both halves of the aperture with every ounce of strength she possessed. A pop, more felt than heard, ran through her shoulders before the door worked open. Wedging her knife into place, Charlotte dismissed her IS and slipped under the brace into the corridor. Glancing back at the teachers still in the locker room, the French girl flashed a smug grin at the older women. "Zhe door is open now."

Not waiting for a response, Charlotte dashed off down the hallway. _Hang on, ma ami._

—*—

Braking to a hover, Kirika cycled in a fresh gun. The loaded submachine gun had barely hit the gauntlet before the redhead lined up a shot. "Rin, break off now!" The purple IS darted away as if spring loaded. A meter's clearance had barely appeared before the first bullet zipped in, splattering itself on the black IS' shields. Sparks flew in all directions as metallic rain poured down to no visible effect.

Even as her submachine gun clicked empty, Kirika threw herself into hard bank just in time to evade a volley of narrow beams crossing her former location. The Japanese pilot forced her IS into a series of evasive maneuvers, using every erg of acceleration possible. Kirika felt her body get twisted and pulled in opposite directions as the computer failed to respond to the demands she put on it. Braking to a hover, the redhead panted heavily as Shenlong opened up with it's own canons.

_Rin makes this sort of thing look easy,_ Kirika thought between pants. The volley threw up a new dirt cloud that obscured the black IS momentarily. Losing track of her target, the Chinese girl stopped firing. **"I seriously doubt that was enough to finish this,"** Rin transmitted.

"Yeah," Kirika sent back. "How's your power levels?"

The answer came back immediately. **"Fair. If I avoid using Ryuhou too much, I can go on a long time."**

Hazel eyes unfocused as the words rattled around in her brain. _Avoid using her canons...why is that important?_ Kirika thought furiously. Realization brought a thunderbolt's clarity to the answer. _Charlotte said once,_ " _An IS has limited power supplies and zhose types of weapons are voracious." That thing's got a couple of beam weapons and one of them is very powerful. Even if the oversized arms have some kind of backup source, it won't last forever._ "Rin, I've got an idea. Whomever the pilot of this IS is, we don't need to beat her. We just need to outlast her."

" **Figured that out just now did you?"** came the sarcastic response. **"I realized that after the first attack. Plus, whatever she used to get through the arena's shields must have depleted her somewhat. It doesn't mean I won't beat her, but just outlasting her is my backup plan."**

Ignoring the barb, the redheaded pilot felt a new thought tug at her conscious. Glancing back at her former competitor, Kirika took a moment to let the idea grow. "There's something else we're missing Rin. She hasn't attacked us just yet."

" **What do you mean? She's been attacking us this entire time."**

Kirika lowered her gun by her side as the dust cloud continued to dissipate. "Aside from the first shot, every attack we've used drew a counter from her. Sometimes those big canons, other times the shoulder emitters. But with the dust cloud from your last barrage, she hasn't fired back yet."

" **Now that you mention it, you might be right."** Even without picture, the frown was visible in the tone. **"So what does that mean?"**

Mulling over possibilities, red eyebrows linked in thought. "I can come up with two options readily. Either her sensors aren't good enough to pierce the dirt cloud..." A derisive snort from the radio echoed in Kirika's ears. "Or we're not dealing with a 'she'. We're dealing with some kind of robotic drone."

—*—

In the control room, both teachers blinked at the conclusion. "A robot?" Maya parroted, looking over at her senior.

Dark eyes narrowing, Chifuyu nodded once. "The logic is sound," the former Brunhilde admitted. "But if anything that makes things more dangerous. It might have it's own weaknesses, but it probably won't have the human constraints of _remorse, self-preservation_ and _compassion_."

Grimacing at the statement, olive eyes flickered towards the screen before returning to Chifuyu. "What happened to the students?"

Scanning around the room, the senior teacher found her two charges gone.

—*—

" **Okay, so let's assume it's a robot like you said,"** Rin conceded as the cloud dissipated. **"How does that help us?"**

Kirika chewed her lip briefly before replying. "First off, if it's a robot it probably won't be able to handle something unexpected. But the really good news is that since it's not human, we don't have to worry about hurting them. So we can cut loose with our firepower and really hammer it down."

" **Now that's something I can get behind!"** roared the petite teen as she targeted the stationary intruder. Before Rin could fire off her canons, an ominous high pitched whine filled the arena. Kirika watched in surprise as the black IS slid forward, crouched and then jumped off the ground. The IS flew faster than an object it's size had any reason to, charging straight towards the Chinese pilot.

"Shit, that thing can fly?!" Kirika screamed as the unmanned IS closed with Shenlong. Swallowing a curse, the Japanese teen cut in her thrusters in pursuit. Rin cackled over the radio as she banked away and fired a barrage at the intruder. Not even trying to evade, the invisible rounds pounded on the black IS without slowing it down. Rin frowned as the distance evaporated while cycling her canons faster.

Kirika reached her companion just ahead of the robot by fear-driven impetus. Without time to plan, the redhead gave the smaller girl a full body check using one of her physical shields. The resulting collision threw Rin away from the black IS, but it practically stopped Kirika in place. Dazed from the impact, the stationary student was easy prey for her attacker.

Forgoing any technique, the robot lashed out with one hand towards its victim. Numerous alarms blared as the Japanese girl froze up at the sight of the oversized monstrosity racing towards her. Barely impaired by Raiko's shields, the fist stuck flesh with brutal intensity. Hazel eyes dimmed as pain erupted in Kirika's chest. Disengaging her PIC, the redheaded pilot let the sudden burst of momentum push her away.

Or it would have had the robot not caught her left leg with startling speed. Metallic fingers almost touched as they closed around the foot thruster, causing the Japanese pilot's pulse to jump in fear. The robot's hand compressed itself smoothly, crushing components into scrap and earning a scream of pain from the human pilot. Fighting against the sudden agony of her injuries, Kirika snatched at the combat knife on her free leg. The blade had only seen daylight for a second before it was into the chest of black IS. Fluid splashed across the redhead's face as an explosion rocked both frames and the restraint relaxed.

_I can't believe I got that lucky,_ Kirika thought as she fell towards the ground. A quick glance at Raiko's HUD brought new worries. **[Left leg thruster destroyed. PIC generator damaged, field unstable. Further combat unadvised. Shields: 223]** Shifting back to the black IS found Rin engaging it viciously with her canons, only to be countered by rapid volleys from robot. _I guess it wasn't luck._

The Japanese pilot hit the ground with just enough control to avoid it being defined as a 'crash'. When her weight hit the left foot, the world dimmed as pain threatened to cripple her. Biting down on her lip to stifle the scream brought a taste of blood on Kirika's tongue. Panting from the sudden exertion, the redhead drew her grenade launcher. Both airborne IS were moving in complicated patterns, each one vying for an advantage. Trying in vain to track the robot's movement, Kirika blew out a breath in exasperation. "Rin, my PIC is damaged. Can you bring it in close enough for a good shot?"

Wordlessly the purple IS shifted course and raced toward the grounded Raiko with the robot trailing behind. Sighting in on Shenlong, Kirika waited for her opportunity. Closing to within fifty meters, Rin accelerated and streaked overhead, the passage close enough to snap red bangs in their wake. Grinning at the bravado, Kirika tightened her finger on the trigger only to be freeze by the intruder's actions. The robot had raised both arms towards the downed IS, canons glowing with power buildup. "Oh shit," the redhead breathed.

"KIRIKA!" Charlotte screamed as she skimmed across the arena floor, her Revive fully deployed. Colliding with the her friend, the French pilot wrapped the IS hands around the shorter teen and kept moving. White hot torture wracked the redhead's body as the blond girl activated her Garden Curtain system. Physical shields materialized between the two teens, creating a bastion of defense. "How's your shot?" Charlotte asked, the words barely audible to her Japanese rider.

" **Pretty good,"** Cecilia admitted as she launched herself from the preparation bay entrance. Two rapid fire shots from her Starlight rifle impacted the robotic IS at the shoulders; the force of the beams knocking the arms off target. Pressing her advantage, the Briton fired off both missiles and deployed her BITs in the same instant. The missiles surged forward with unerring efficiency, detonating upon impact; the explosion threw the robot back into the net created by the four drones. Azure beams rained down on the black IS, the flurry of shots hammering shields into nonexistence. Raising her Starlight rifle one more time, the Briton took careful aim with the scope. "This is the end for you!"

A brilliant bolt lashed out from the rifle, crossing the distance to its target in an instant. Unhindered by the weakened shields, the beam lanced through the robot's chest and out the back. Cutting off the weapon, Cecilia kept her attention focused on the black IS.

One arm fitfully tried to point itself at Blue Tears before falling back to the robot's side. "Have you had enough?" Cecilia taunted. The black IS exploded in a thunderous roar, debris scattering everywhere. Protecting herself from the intense shockwave, Cecilia turned back to find a smoking crater where the black IS once stood. "I guess you have," she murmured to herself.

Charlotte lowered her arms away from her face to find the intruder gone. Checking her HUD carefully, the French teen relaxed her shoulders. "Well, zhat was quite exciting, eh Kirika?" Getting no response, Charlotte turned to face her friend. "Kirika?"

Amethyst eyes widened as the French girl caught sight her her redheaded classmate crumpled in a heap on the ground, not moving.

—*—

A soft moan echoed in the confines of the spartan room. The muted beep of machinery percolated through a drug-fueled confusion, followed by a medicinal tang in the air. The room's standing occupant waited patiently as hazel eyes fluttered open. When the eyes focused on the other person, they were rewarded with a reassuring smile. "Good evening student Nakano," the woman said in passable Japanese. "My name is Dr. Dawn Saunders. You're in the school infirmary."

Kirika started to rise from the bed only to be stopped by the older woman. "Don't even try to get up on me, student. And I will sedate you if you give me any grief. Can you follow me if I switch to English?" Not trusting her voice, the redhead only nodded once. "Good," the doctor muttered, changing languages, "my Japanese isn't good enough for medical purposes anyway. Okay, so you're in the infirmary. You've got three broken ribs and five cracked of varying degrees. Your left leg has decent breaks in both the tibia and fibula just above the ankle. On the flip side of things, you didn't have any internal damage except for a couple of minor lacerations on your liver. Which aren't severe enough to require surgery."

Hazel eyes flickered to the harness suspending leg at the bottom of the bed. "Now don't get too excited," Dr. Saunders continued. "Under normal circumstances, you'd be in a cast for three months, but the ISA takes care of its students. So I should be able to get you healthy in a couple of weeks, but it is going to mean you'll be here for the first week."

Kirika blinked as she replayed her translation mentally. "You mean I'll be okay?" The redhead asked in a quiet voice.

The older woman flashed a more confident smile. "Of course you will. I'm good at what I do, and I've got some great equipment to work with." The doctor's grey eyes darted away from her patient momentarily before returning. "You have some visitors waiting, if you're feeling up to it."

"That's fine," Kirika whispered, wincing at the pain talking caused.

Eyes narrowing at the gesture, the doctor moved towards the entrance without a word. Opening the door, Dr. Saunders traded places with the two forms outside. "You've got five minutes, and do not let her get up."

Houki and Charlotte acknowledged their instructions as they walked over to their friend's bed. Hazel eyes scanned over the two newcomers expectantly. The French girl's face was a blotchy mess; her amethyst eyes were red from recent crying. Houki had locked her expression in an earnest impersonation of their teacher's scowl; her sapphire orbs betrayed nothing of her feelings. As both girls came to the side of Kirika's bed, the kendoka took the lead. "Hey roomie, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, this is nothing," the redhead whispered, faking a smile. "I just consider it a vacation."

"Well, it is one way to get some time off," Houki agreed. "But seriously Rika..."

"Like I said, it's nothing," Kirika repeated, dropping the playfulness. "Doc told me I have a leg and some ribs broken. She assured me that I'll be out of here in a week and back to healthy in a couple more." The redhead paused to fix her bleary gaze on both girls. "Frankly, if I haven't lost life or limb, then it's really nothing. My biggest gripe is that it means being locked in the infirmary on my birthday."

Houki blinked at the blasé sentiment, but said nothing. Charlotte reached out and snatched up the closer hand. "Kirika, I must apologize for what happened to you. It was my fault zhat you got hurt so badly in zhe match." Collapsing to her knees, the French girl sobbed at the sight of her friend's injuries.

Only to be stopped by an almost painful grip on her slender hand. Amethyst eyes still watery, Charlotte looked up at the expression on the redhead and froze. The playful, easygoing attitude Kirika usually portrayed was gone; in it's place was the worn consideration of a person much older and experienced. Relaxing her grip somewhat, the class representative locked her eyes with the French girl. "Listen carefully, Charlotte," Kirika intoned with all the strength her injuries would permit. "I am not some delicate little doll to be protected. If a person does anything in life, there's a chance for them to be hurt doing it. So what happened today was as much my fault as yours."

Her voice failing, Charlotte meekly nodded once and was rewarded with the release of her hand. Exhaustion slumped Kirika's shoulders as she leaned hard on the pillow. "Looking at it now, the robot did most of the damage," she admitted in Japanese. Houki hesitated a moment before translating to the blond girl. "For sure the leg happened when it clamped down on me. You may have broken one rib when you snatched me while my PIC was disabled, but I'd have been fine if not for the punch making a mess of things. I do know that I couldn't have evaded that last blast on my own, and with my shields as low as they were, it would have killed me." Realizing she had drifted back into Japanese, the girl swallowed loudly and changed back to English. "In many ways, Charlotte, I owe you my life. A little bit of pain means nothing in comparison."

Overwhelmed by emotion, the French teen began crying softly. Even Houki's stern expression broke as she turned away, but not fast enough to prevent Kirika from seeing tears in her roommate's eyes. The two cried for a moment before a polite cough behind them earned their attention. "Wrap it up, visiting hours are almost over," Dr. Saunders said simply from the doorway.

Both standing teens flushed in embarrassment and nodded at the order. Charlotte grave Kirika's hand one last squeeze before moving away. "I will see you tomorrow if you want."

"Later roomie," Houki muttered over her shoulder as she began to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute," Kirika called, stopping her friends in their departure. "What was the outcome of my match?"

Pausing in the doorway, Houki turned enough peek through a curtain of dark hair. "Officially, the match was a draw due to outside interference. Unofficially, that intruder was the only thing that kept you from losing. I've heard Lingyin is telling a version of the story that had her defeating it with only a little help from Cecilia. The way she presents it, she saved you a bunch of times."

Closing her eyes with a derisive snort, Kirika leaned back onto the pillow. "Figures."

—*—

Pushing the door to her room closed, Houki felt her stomach tighten as the weight of the empty space collapsed in on her. Pressure built upon itself in the kendoka as a red haze clouded her vision. Stalking towards her bed in desperation, the raven-haired teen's mind struggled to find a release for her emotions. Grabbing a pillow from it's place, Houki covered her face and screamed at the top of lungs.

Dropping onto the bed as exhaustion finally claimed her, Houki rolled onto her side and put the pillow into place. "Why am I so worked up?" she asked the empty room. Getting no answer from the bedside lamp, sapphire eyes darted across the room for any hope. Settling on the nightstand, an idea present itself for consideration. "I guess I could do worse."

Reaching into the nightstand, the kendoka extracted her cellphone and thumbed through numbers. _No, Aunt Yukiko is probably asleep right now._ Scrolling farther, a second name jumped out of the list. Pressing the send button, Houki stared at the device curiously. "I wonder how she got her name onto my phone."

The connection rang once before it clicked. **"Hey dee hey, hi dee ho, this is Tabane Shinono!"** a whimsical voice sang from the speaker. Growling at the treatment, Houki started to push the off button. **"Wait wait wait Houki, I'm not screening!"** Tabane protested.

"Cheshire, huh Tabane? Do I even want to know how you got onto my contact list?"

" **Come on, Houki. I'm a world class super-genius. You think hacking a cellphone is too hard for me?"** The kendoka heard the sound of typing come from the phone for a moment before it stopped. **"So what's on your mind? It's not like you to call me of all people."**

Chewing her lip for a moment, Houki struggled to get the right words. "I just needed to talk to someone. I would have called Aunt Yukiko, but she's always in bed early. And I wasn't sure who this number belonged to."

" **Well, I left it so you could contact me if you needed to,"** Tabane admitted, her voice suddenly serious. **"Come on Kitsune, talk to me."**

Blushing at the use of her childhood nickname, Houki breathed a silent sigh of relief at being alone in the room. "I just don't know what's wrong with me right now," the kendoka began. Recounting the entire day's events for her sister, Houki kept her voice strong through the tale. "And now, I've done two hours of the most strenuous kendo exercises I could, run around the campus at top speed and I still don't really feel tired. If anything, I just want to HIT something."

Not getting an immediate response, the kendoka looked at her cellphone inquisitively. The counter ticked by for nearly a minute before the sound of muted laughter became apparent. "Just what's so funny," Houki asked, a frown creasing her face.

" **Oh, it's just amusing to listen to you, little Kitsune."**

"And what do you mean by that," the kendoka uttered, suddenly angry.

The laughter stopped, but the amused tone remained. **"Well, let me ask you this: how many friends do you have?"**

Taken aback, Houki blinked at the question. "Well..." the kendoka drawled out, thinking hard. "I guess I don't have any friends. At least not since Ichika died."

" **Sorry to bring that back up,"** her sister said apologetically. **"But have you tried making any friends with the girls at the academy since you've been there?"**

"Well, no." Houki replied as the confusion started to clear. "I've had to keep to myself mostly because of I didn't want to folks to know you're my sister. The only people who do know are..."

" **Yes?"** Tabane prompted, her tone playful again.

Covering her face with one hand, the kendoka finished the thought. "Kirika, Charlotte and probably my teachers."

" **And did Kirika seem to treat you differently knowing you're 'Tabane Shinonono's sister'?"**

"No she didn't," Houki admitted soberly. "In fact, she wanted my help because of my skills, not my name. She's also been helping me out with some things of my own."

A muted chuckle carried from the phone. **"'Some things', eh? That's interesting. And it sounds exactly like the sort of thing friends do. Which means you might consider her a friend, and..."**

"And I don't like to see my friends get hurt," Houki completed. The kendoka's voice dropped down to nearly a whisper as she continued. "I just hate having to watch from the sidelines, helpless." Drifting her eyes around the room, Houki noted how late it had gotten. "I've got to go, it's getting late and classes start early. Thanks sis."

In her laboratory, Tabane just grinned at the speaker. "Anytime, Kitsune." Silencing the phone with a gesture, the super-genius turned back to her computer station. Opening up a new file, Tabane placed her fingers against the touchscreen. "Now let's see what I can do to help you in the future."

—*—

Beneath the Academy grounds, where students would never go, two women entered a darkened room. Flicking a switch on, Chifuyu and Maya stared at the central table illuminated by a powerful light. The remains of the robot were strewn across the support, pieces laid out in their approximate locations. A thick stench of smoke hung over the remains, bringing tears to both women's eyes.

Coming as close as she could stand, Chifuyu looked back over at her junior. "So what do we know so far?"

Sitting down at one workstation, the green-haired teacher tapped rapidly on the keyboard. "Chief Pickett's submitted a preliminary report on the canon from the right arm. It's essentially an amplified beam weapon. There was a couple of fuel cells to help power it as well, but they are nothing exotic. Any number of countries could have made them."

Grunting, the former Brunhilde turned her attention back to the table. "What else?"

"Like the girls suspected, it is a robot. Again, the bulk of the parts are pretty common to most countries, but there's enough uniqueness to let us start an investigation in several locations," Maya said with a touch of hope. "Academy security has the info and will be sending out agents by the end of the week."

Cupping her chin with one hand, Chifuyu looked back at the seated teacher. "What about the core? Any data on it that might lead to it's owner?"

A flurry of keystrokes brought up a series of new screens. "The core was damaged to the point of being non-operable. The self destruct process was thorough; any memory the robot had was utterly destroyed."

"Damn," the dark-haired teacher muttered. "You spend more time talking to the maintenance branch, what do you think?"

Leaning back in her chair, Maya closed her olive eyes a moment. "The technology used is somewhat experimental, but not unreasonable. If a group had started developing it four years ago, they could have had prototypes ready now." Opening her eyes, the green-haired teacher fixed them on her senior. "But I don't see any reason to send it into an Academy match."

Frowning behind her hand, Chifuyu grunted a second time. "Field testing it. If you had one to spare, and had an uplink to gather all the data you can, you could make vast improvements on the design."

"But wouldn't that alert everyone to what you had?"

Waving away the objection, the former Brunhilde looked back at the robot. "Either you absolutely need the data it generated, you don't care if someone finds out, or you're so certain they'll never find you."

Maya's next comment was interrupted by a chime from the workstation. "There's a new report from the maintenance branch. They managed to get the core active for a couple of seconds. But..."

Intrigued by the younger woman's actions, Chifuyu walked over to check the screen herself. "The core is unregistered. That could be from the damage taken, but they don't think so." Brown eyes flickered one last time to the wreckage. "What the hell is going on here?"

* * *

A/N: Hooray a new chapter. The plot thickens a bit, eh? The next chapter should be easier and faster to write, I've already got a couple of ideas on where to go with it.

The "Kitsune" nickname for Houki was inspired by her "Ichika birthday" costume. A check of Wikipedia says that not all kitsunes are the mischievous types you might think of. As for Tabane's nickname, well...we couldn't have one nickname now could we? And to me, the Cheshire Cat always seemed to know something that everyone else didn't.

FOR EVERYONE'S INFORMATION: I have started cross-posting these stories on Archive Of Our Own. I have the same penname there and the stories are the same name. It might be possible that this website may take my stories down, and I didn't want you guys to lose out on reading them. Feel free to check me out there, or here!

If you've gotten this far, feel free to post even an anonymous review, favorite or follow it! See you all soon!


	8. Chapter 8

 Chapter 8  
I get by with a little  
help from my friends.  
-Ringo Starr

It wasn't the situation that made Houki Shinonono uncomfortable. The big crowds of people, the flow of foot traffic, the occasional passing car weren't that unusual for her. While living in Kyoto might not be Tokyo, the kendoka had taken enough trips to the bigger city to be at least familiar with the concept of moving through a crowd.

No, what fueled Houki's discomfort was her outfit. Not that it was a bad outfit: a magenta skirt topped by a cream-colored blouse with a black jacket to cover it all. _The problem is it doesn't feel like the kind of clothes_ I _would wear,_ she whined mentally. And in truth, it wasn't. The skirt barely fell to mid-thigh while the shirt was cut low enough to emphasize her bust. The kendoka felt the presence of every passerby's eyes on her as she moved towards the next store.

 “I must zhank you again Houki,” Charlotte Dunois muttered as she walked alongside the taller girl. The French teen had chosen an ensemble that gave Houki pause on first inspection: jeans, a black t-shirt and a green hooded sweatshirt. After tying up her hair into a shorter tail, Charlotte had almost been unrecognizable to her classmate.

 Sighing, the kendoka turned towards her companion. “I told you it would be fine, didn't I? You don't have to go so overboard on things.” _And it's not like I had much choice in the matter, given you looked so pathetic that way,_ Houki added in a wry thought.

 <—*—>

 “Please Houki, I need your help.”

 Looking up from her breakfast, the kendoka found Charlotte standing before her. The French girl had her head bowed over and hands clasped before her. Holding her chopsticks level, Houki considered her words with care. “Help with what?”

 “I need to get something for Kirika's birthday,” Charlotte explained, looking directly at her classmate. “But I can't read Japanese, so I need a guide to help me.”

The mention of her roommate's upcoming birthday earned a mental gasp from Houki. Swallowing her discomfort at the thought of not having a present as well, the kendoka let her mind race for options. “Okay, I have something to do and then I'll meet you at the Academy gates at ten.”

Charlotte broke into a smile that made the taller girl relax. “Zhank you, _ma ami_!”

<—*—>

“So did you have any ideas what you wanted to get Kirika?” Houki asked as she glanced at various store signs.

Charlotte bit her lip in thought. “Actually, _non_. I don't know what she might like. Maybe you can recommend something?”

“Well...” Houki drawled, buying some time to think. “I'll tell you what I know about her. She's got more fashion sense than me, she's a decent but not outstanding student, and she'd be the first to tell you how lucky she is.”

Amethyst eyes blinked as they focused on the raven-haired teen. “You mean zhat you have lived with Kirika for two months and don't know much about her?”

Houki stopped in mid-stride to think harder. “Well, maybe I don't know the right things about her,” she admitted. “I haven't had much experience with friends, so I'm not sure what might be important.”

“Ah,” Charlotte muttered as they walked into a department store. Stopping at the directory, Houki scanned the signs for a likely option. Finding one, she lead the French teen to a set of escalators heading deeper into the store. “Well, zhere isn't much to be done about zhat,” she commented as they stopped at their level.

As they neared the woman's department, the Japanese girl caught sight of a clerk walking towards them. Giving the employee a minor shake of her head, Houki turned her attention to her classmate. “Aside from learning how to be a friend now I guess.”

Charlotte flashed a grin as she walked around one rack of tops. Eyeing one design, she pulled it off to admire it more closely. “How is zhis?”

“I'm not sure if that's her style,” admitted the kendoka as she moved to a different rack, this one containing jackets.

Sighing, Charlotte returned the item and moved to join her classmate. “What does Kirika wear when she's in your room?”

Sapphire eyes closed in thought. “Mostly she's pretty relaxed about it. She likes a t-shirt and some athletic shorts. A lot of her wardrobe is...I guess the word I'm looking for is casual. Nothing too tight. I know she's not ashamed of her body, but Kirika doesn't feel a need to show it off either.”

The French girl gave an encouraging smile. “See? You know more about her zhan you zhought.”

Oh?” Houki asked as she looked at the size of the jacket. _I think this will fit her,_ she judged. Draping the apparel over her arm, she glanced back at Charlotte. “Well, I think I'll go with this. Did you see something you like?”

“Non.” Looking around the salesfloor, Charlotte pondered other options. “Does Kirika wear jewelry?”

Houki blinked at the question. “Well, she doesn't wear a watch. Most times she uses her cell phone to check the time. Kirika does have a necklace with a medallion on it, though. She added a second medallion to the chain as her IS transponder.”

“Oh? Do you recall what is on her medallion?” Charlotte asked, a tinge of hope in her voice.

Frowning, the Japanese girl shook her head. “I've never thought to pay much attention to it, and Kirika never offered to show me.”

Crestfallen, the blond's face reflected her voice. “I was zhinking I might get something zhat went in zhe same zheme.”

The kendoka eyed her classmate with a neutral expression as she walked towards the jewelry counter. “Is that normal for friends, to give them jewelry?”

“It's not unheard of,” Charlotte acknowledged. “I've seen it done a few times. But of late, I have not had many friends that I would consider doing it for.”

Sapphire eyes glanced over at the shorter girl for a moment, taking in Charlotte's expression. “”Is there something else?”

Blond hair bobbed once as the French teen nodded. “I still feel bad at getting Kirika hurt during zhe match,” Charlotte admitted.

“It's like you've got a Japanese sense of honor, Charlotte,” the kendoka said as they approached the counter.

The comment earned a blink from the shorter girl. “Zhank you, I zhink.”

As the students approached the counter, a salesgirl walked up to meet them with a wary expression. Houki watched her classmate stumble through Japanese behind a collected mask. When the French girl made her third mistake in two sentences, a smile creased her lips as she stepped in to help. “The salesgirl wants to know what you're looking for,” Houki translated.

“Ah.” Charlotte flashed a thankful smile at the taller girl. With Houki's assistance, the blond girl quickly got her intentions across. The salesgirl gave the teens a skeptical look, but pulled a tray out with some options. After a couple of false starts, the salesgirl showed them a small golden charm. Designed to be worn on a necklace, it was rectangular and had some very fine writing on one side. “Oh, I love it. What does zhe writing say?”

Houki squinted to make out the kanji. “I think it reads 'courage',” she said as she looked to the salesgirl for confirmation and earning a nod in return. “It really is lovely.”

The French teen glanced up at her classmate. “How much is it?”

Houki conferred with the salesgirl in Japanese. “She says it's eighteen thousand yen and wants to know how you intend to pay for it.” The kendoka leaned in close to Charlotte for a moment. “A couple of her words seem to suggest you can't afford it and should move on.”

Amethyst eyes twinkled at the assertion. “Will they take dollars or euros?”

Houki's eyes blinked once at the question before translating to the salesgirl. “She says they'll take dollars.”

The kendoka watched in surprise as the jacket was removed from her possession and placed on the counter. The blond girl flashed a knowing smirk as she looked at the two Japanese women and reached into her jeans for a small wallet. Houki blinked hard as a silver credit card came out and was passed to the employee. “For both items, please,” Charlotte stated simply.

The salesgirl took the card warily and turned away to attend to the register. After a long pause, the employee pointed at the attached pen pad, which Charlotte signed with a flourish. Bagging up both items, the salesgirl handed the purchase to the French teen. Accepting the bag with a smile and a nod, Charlotte looked at her classmate. “Shall we go?”

Mouth agape, Houki nodded once and turned to leave. The kendoka stopped as the salegirl commented to her back. Turning towards the now-cheerful employee, Houki gave a quick response of her own. Charlotte looked inquisitively at her classmate, but kept her peace. “Are you hungry? I'll treat.”

<—*—>

The waitress motioned towards a specific table and set down some menus before the students. Settling the bag on the floor near her, Charlotte leaned back in her chair. “I have not heard of zhis place, is zhe food good?”

“It's better than you might expect,” Houki admitted as she eyed the menu. “Especially for a place that looks like a real dive.”

Nodding in comprehension, Charlotte picked up her own menu. Looking at her menu, the French girl frowned at the list of items. “Uh...Houki...will you order for me?”

Her grin hidden by the menu, the kendoka tried to keep her amusement from her voice. “Sure.”

Their orders placed, the waitress hurried off to an adjacent table. Charlotte looked around the room casually, amethyst eyes drifting from place to place. Finally coming back to her classmate, she appraised the taller girl with thought. “Do you come here often Houki?”

“Not as often as I'd like to. I was living in a temple on the other side of Kyoto with an aunt,” Houki said, eyes growing distant. “And this is one of the bigger shopping complexes shy of Tokyo. I think I'd get out here once a season on average.”

Blond eyebrows twitched at the statement. “A temple? You were raised as a...nun?”

The kendoka's response was cut off by the return of the waitress. Efficiently setting down a pot of tea and some cups between the two, Houki used the interruption to compose her response. “Not a nun,” she admitted as the waitress moved away. “My aunt is a shrine priestess, and I lived with her. I kind of had to, after my parents died and Tabane disappeared. I helped out a lot growing up.”

The apology on the French teen's tongue died unspoken at the sight on her classmate's face. “What is she like?”

Sapphire eyes looked up from the teacup to lock on her companion. “Who, Tabane?” Houki asked, earning a nod in reply. “Well...she's a different kind of older sister. I mean, sure she's smart on a level that can be scary, but she's also goofy, funny and prone to wildly inappropriate comments at the drop of a hat. You're never quite sure where you stand with Tabane. Isn't it like that with your family?”

Charlotte wrapped both hands around the teacup to keep it from shaking. “ _Non_ , actually,” she said as she blew on the tea a moment. Taking a sip, she looked at her classmate. “I am an only child, and illegitimate at zhat. I did not know who my father was until after my mother's death, when I went to live with him.”

Houki blushed in embarrassment at her mistake. “My apologies Charlotte, I seemed to have misspoke.”

The French girl waved the sentiment away. “Zhere is little zhat can be misspoken between friends.”

The waitress' return interrupted the conversation a second time. Placing the girls' orders down with practiced motions, the waitress paused for a moment before moving away to a different table. Eating in companionable silence, the two students made muffled groans of excitement over their food. Swallowing, Charlotte looked over the table at her classmate. “May I ask you a question, Houki?”

Stopping mid-chew to stare at Charlotte, the kendoka kept her face rigidly composed. Dark eyebrows narrowed marginally as Houki nodded once. Emboldened, the French teen flashed an embarrassed smile. “I was wondering if you could tell me what it was like to have an older sister.”

Choking on her current bite of food, Houki managed to not spit it out in her classmate's face. A fast grab at the teacup gave enough moisture to ease a newly dry mouth. “Well...” she gasped out, trying to find a way past her embarrassment. “I suppose it depended on the day,” Houki began. “When we were growing up, before she introduced the IS to the world, she seemed...I guess normal is the best way to describe it.”

Sapphire eyes grew distant as the Japanese girl walked in her memories. “Tabane could go from a serious discussion of algebra to make a joke about anything in the middle of sentence. But she never failed to keep herself close to me, despite our age difference. She's eight years older than me,” Houki explained upon seeing the confusion on the French teen's face.

Taking a measured sip of tea, the kendoka felt a wave of nostalgia on crash down on her. “One of the times I really remember is when I had to do some...I want to say it was something math related. Multiplication and division, if I remember right. Anyway, I was having a lot of difficulty with the work I had, my parents weren't around and I went to ask Tabane for help in her room.

“I do remember that I had to work up my courage a bit. Tabane was always friendly to me, but I didn't have as much confidence in my academic skills compared to her. I mean, Tabane was smart enough to pretty much skip all of high school. She was taking classes at Tokyo University before she could get her driver's license.” Charlotte nodded at the sentiment but kept her silence.

“So I go up to her room, and knock on the door. Tabane opened it almost immediately and says 'What's going on Houki? Something wrong?'.” Charlotte flashed a faint smile as her friend's voice pitched itself higher in impersonation. “So I showed her my work and complained about how I didn't understand it. Tabane then helped me out for over an hour until I really did get the process, and she did it in a way that my teachers couldn't. I don't know if it was just the personalized attention, or she really did have a better way. All I know is I still use those same tricks now.”

Amethyst eyes focused in on Houki's face. “And after she debuted zhe IS?”

The kendoka frowned at the memory, but found herself unable to remain silent. “Well, originally the IS wasn't seen as that great a thing. Sure, it had a lot of space exploration usages, but it wasn't as high a priority for folks as I think Tabane wanted. It wasn't until after the Shirokishi incident that nearly destroyed Japan that everyone took notice of what she had developed.”

Charlotte nodded as she recalled what she had learned of the famous act. _The Shirokishi, or White Knight, incident. Over two thousand nuclear missiles were launched at Japan and a single IS destroyed them all. Then it was seen engaging, and defeating, naval forces from every sea-faring country with no loss of life._ “Well, if you were looking for a way to demonstrate what a system could do, zhen you could not do much better than saving a country.”

Houki blinked at the statement, letting her thoughts drift along the idea proposed by the French teen. Opening her mouth to dismiss the concept, she was interrupted by the return of the waitress. Taking away the plates, the server looked hopefully at her customers. “She's wondering if we want any desert,” Houki explained.

The French girl's amethyst eyes twinkled as she grinned. “Do zhey do something particularly well?”

Nodding, the kendoka rattled off a string of rapid-fire Japanese. The waitress beamed once before running off to comply. “It'll be a few minutes, but it's worth the wait.”

Charlotte smirked as she picked up her teacup. “Zhe best things usually require some time,” she muttered into her cup as she took a sip.

Houki fought to keep a frown off her face as she copied the motion. Savoring the flavor of the tea, the Japanese teen struggled to find a topic that would be safe. “So, what did you think of Kirika's last match?”

“Against Lingyin?” Charlotte asked, earning a nod from her companion. “Well, she was outclassed in almost every regard. Lingyin is a very sharp pilot, and her machine is capably built. I zhink my own chances against her would be fair, but my Revive is heavily modified and almost equal to zhe current generation of IS. Knowing what I know now, I could probably take Cecilia without much effort, but Lingyin would be a very difficult challenge. And it would be impossible for anyone in an Uchigane or standardized Revive, regardless of zheir skills.”

The kendoka grunted at the concept as the waitress returned. Efficient movements set two pieces of cake in front of the teens, then placed a folder between them. Charlotte was ready for the move, producing the same silver card and handing it over. The waitress blinked once before moving off.

Eyeing the speed of the worker, Houki appraised her classmate. “You know, I have to ask, but what is that? You used it at the store too.”

Amethyst eyes never left the cake as Charlotte poked it with her fork. “My platinum card. I was given it to use while I was at zhe ISA. I was told it has a very high limit.” Breaking off a small section of cake, the French girl brought it to her mouth with a delicate motion. Charlotte's eyes widened at the taste on her tongue. “My mouth zhanks you for zhis, Houki,” she said around her cake, “but my waist and hips will probably not.”

Houki smirked as she started to eat her own cake. Topped with white chocolate sauce, it bore a passing resemblance to Mount Fuji. “Don't worry, I'll help you lose the weight later.”

The waitress placed the bill close to Charlotte, then rattled off a string of Japanese and left. The raven-haired teen blushed for a moment, earning a concerned look from her classmate. “What did she say? I zhink I heard zhe same zhings at zhe store.”

Distracted sapphire eyes clicked back on the French girl. “She said I was lucky to have a cute, rich foreign boyfriend.”

Charlotte just chuckled and resumed eating her desert.

<—*—>

“Okay Ceci-chan, I'll see you later!” Honne Nohotoke said as she left the room with a flap of her sleeve-covered hand.

It wasn't until the door slid shut that Cecilia Alcott let herself sigh. “I suppose I should be honored that I have a nickname, but did it have to be that one?”

Turning her attention back to the table before her, the Briton sighed a second time. Piles of papers were strewn across the surface in a haphazard manner, denying Cecilia any any chance at relaxing. “If I had known this was part of the job of 'class representative', I would have not wanted it. Well, as mother said, 'no job worth doing is ever easy'.”

Grabbing up the leftmost pile, Cecilia shuffled the papers and placed them into a neat stack. The rest of the piles were each stacked in turn until the table only had three stacks on it. Returning to the leftmost pile, Cecilia took the top sheet and skimmed the document. “A requisition of funds from the judo club...let's put that there.”

The process continued through the pile, and then to the other piles. In the end, Cecilia had four categories: fund requisitions, budget approvals, event approvals and miscellaneous items. Picking up the smallest collection, the Briton scanned the first item. “Hmm....”

Cecilia's musings were interrupted by the sudden presence of a hand on her shoulder. Papers scattered everywhere as the blond girl jumped in her seat. Turning her head, Cecilia saw a second student in the room, one hand raised by way of apology as the second held a stack of folders against her chest. “What exactly are you doing here?”

It wasn't until after the words left her mouth that Cecilia assessed the person behind her. Amber eyes hid behind a pair of wide glasses, while her hair was pulled back from her face with a band. Pink-brown tones in the new girl's hair nagged at Cecilia even as her eyes drifted along in their assessment. The newcomer was almost as tall as the Briton, and her body seemed a bit larger. _It's not that she's fat,_ Cecilia decided, _but she's used to work._ “Well?”

“I am part of the student council,” the newcomer began, moving closer to the table. Taking hold of the stack of folders in her arm, she placed them down with care. “My name is Utsuho.”

Blue eyes locked onto Utsuho's now-exposed necktie. A slender crimson thread was tied into a neat bow. Cecilia's heart jumped into her chest as her brain clicked into overdrive. “My apologies, ma'am! I didn't mean to be rude with you.”

Utsuho's eyes blinked at the sudden change of attitude from the blond girl. “Oh!” she exclaimed as comprehension dawned. “It's okay, first year. We're pretty lax here in the student council. But I have to admit, I don't recognize you.”

“So sorry, ma'am,” the Briton muttered as she sat upright in her chair. “My name is Cecilia Alcott, first year, class one. I'm here as a replacement for Kirika Nakano while she's recovering in the infirmary.”

“You don't have to be so formal around me,” the senior admonished lightly. One hand came up to tuck away a loose strand of hair as Utsuho moved around the table. Grabbing up some of the scattered papers, the older girl quickly restored the mess to it's corrected state. “There, that's better. Now you said you were to replace Kirika?”

Cecilia chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “I'm a temporary replacement. Kirika will be in the infirmary until the end of the week, and then on restricted activities for a while longer. I'm told her injuries were serious, but not life threatening. I volunteered to cover for her.”

Amber eyes considered the other girl for a grave moment. “I saw the match where she got injured. It's good to know Kirika will be back on her feet soon. She tries hard around here, even if she isn't very good at most of it.”

The Briton chuckled at the comment. “To hear Kirika talk about it, she's always good at everything. It's...amusing to find out otherwise.”

“Well, no one can be good at everything. But I know someone who's close enough,” the older teen noted, a hint of a smile crossing her lips. Looking around the room, Utsuho realized they were alone. “I thought I'd find my sister here.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes, I have a sister in the Academy. Her name is Honne and she's in your class,“ Utsuho stated, picking up a paper and starting to skim it. “She usually comes to the student council as well.”

Navy eyes blinked at the revelation. “Your sister was here,” Cecilia admitted, “but she left to get some snacks.”

“Typical,” the older girl muttered with a sigh. Utsuho rose to her feet with a weary expression on her face. “I told her I had to bring these papers first then I would get some tea and snacks. She's probably making a mess of my room looking for a treat. I'll bring you back some tea when I drag her back to help with this work.”

Cecilia nodded at the gesture as the senior left the room. _I wonder if it would have been like that if I had a sibling._ Dismissing the line of thought, the blond returned her focus to the paperwork. Signing off on two requests like she had been taught to, Cecilia almost missed the sound of the door opening again. “Oh, that was quick,” she said without looking up from her work. “You must have caught your sister before she got to the dorms.”

The hand on that dropped onto her shoulder broke the blond girl's focus and got her immediate attention. But before she could begin to react, the hand tightened it's grip and spun her around. Blond tresses whirled by the motion, throwing themselves into the air and blinding Cecilia. One hand rose to a defensive posture out an instinctive reaction. It never finished the motion, as a second hand snatched it and held tight.

“Who are you?” Cecilia snarled at her unseen tormentor. Rolling her head to clear the hair from her eyes, the Briton fixed on her attacker. But it wasn't the expected amber eyes and pink hair she saw. Instead, navy orbs noted black hair pulled into twin pigtails and emerald eyes that burned with their own intensity. “Lingyin! What are you doing?” Cecilia squealed.

“I told you to call me 'Rin',” the Chinese girl said with a touch of scorn.

“Very well, _Rin_ , what are you doing?” Cecilia asked indignantly.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she replied. The Briton found herself impressed with Rin's calm demeanor; during her time at the academy the candidate representative had shown off many qualities, but 'calm” was not one of them. “Your maid informed that you would be here.”

A momentary surge of panic flashed through Cecilia's brain. “Chelsea? You've been talking to Chelsea?”

Narrow shoulders rose once in a halfhearted shrug. “If that's the name of the girl I found in your room, then yes, I talked to her.” Emerald eyes flicked over the taller girl's body. “I went there, didn't find you and came here on her advice.”

“I see,” the Briton replied, trying not to shudder under the gaze of the shorter girl. “So what did you want to talk about?” Rin leaned in close enough to make the taller girl uncomfortable. Recalling the speed the Chinese pilot had displayed, Cecilia felt a trickle of sweat on her spine as she mentally prepared herself for a fight.

“I wanted to talk to you about my last match. The one with that redhead.”

The words, stated so simply, broke some of the tension the blond girl felt. Blinking once, Cecilia let her shoulders droop in relief. “What about that match, Rin?”

Emerald eyes blazed as they met the Briton's eyes. “Why did you interrupt it?”

Heart pounding from the proximity of the Chinese teen, blue eyes blinked once at the question. “I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch that.”

“Why. Did. You. Interrupt. My. Fight?” Rin asked slowly as she leaned in closer, almost nose to nose with the taller girl.

_I've got to be very careful here._ Taking a loud swallow, Cecilia focused on the next words with the intensity of an award winning actress. “Well, Rin, it's like this. I had permission from Ms. Orimura. She declared it an emergency and said I could assist.”

The Chinese girl's eyes narrowed at the statement. “And that gave you enough of a reason to get involved?”

“Well yes,” the Briton conceded as a bead of sweat ran down her neck to her spine. Focusing past the discomfort, Cecilia fought to keep her tone even. “But you know I wasn't the only one. Charlotte helped out too.”

“That French girl? All she did was remove trash from the field,” Rin scoffed. “YOU were the one who stole my kill.”

Cecilia felt the shorter girl's hot breath on her face. A trace of mint hung between the two. _I never would have suspected that for Rin._ “I was told to engage the enemy, and I did. I have been trained as a sniper, and that means I had to choose the best time to take my shot. If that means that it was after you had weakened the target,” Rin's eyes blazed dangerously at the comment, “then so be it. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you take it up with Ms. Orimura.”

Rin leaned away at the suggestion, standing almost upright in a moment. The blond girl let a shallow sigh out as she tried to compose herself in the brief respite. The Chinese girl raised one hand to cup her chin thoughtfully as her eyes unfocused. “You might be right,” she conceded.

The Briton's pulse slowed as the words reached her. Cecilia felt a twinge of pain in her shoulders, causing her to let them slump. The motion was noticed by Rin, who refocused her attention back on the blond girl. “Of course, there still is the problem of what to do about you.”

“What do you mean?” Cecilia asked, her voice laden with concern. “Why would you do something?”

The Chinese girl smirked, letting one tooth poke out. “Regardless of why you acted, you did interrupt my fight and steal my kill. So you've embarrassed me and in front of the entire Academy no less. So I need to do something to settle that score.”

Fighting to keep her expression neutral even as a new chill ran down her spine, Cecilia looked up at the skinny girl. “I already told you, if you have a problem you need to take it up with Ms. Orimura. I acted on her orders.”

“Oh I intend to,” Rin confirmed with a nod, “but I also need to get something back from you. It's a matter of pride. You embarrassed me, so I have to do something to you.”

Blue eyes widened at the concept. “And just what do you intend to do?”

A frown crossed the Chinese girl's face as she thought. “Well, I'm not sure. The last person who embarrassed me with just an implication about my skills, I laid open her face. Literally.” One hand came up in a reenactment of the movement. “Gave her a scar from ear to chin.”

Cecilia's breath caught in her throat as she watched the demonstration. “You—you wouldn't dare do that to me!”

“Why not?” Rin asked, eyes narrowing at the panicked tone. “It'd be a nice way to remind you of your place. Every time you caught your reflection, you'd be reminded of what happens if you mess with your betters.”

Blue eyes flared in equal parts outrage and fear. “It would also cause an international incident, get you kicked out of the Academy, and very likely start a war between our countries.”

“And which of those consequences do you think really bothers me?” Rin countered with a smirk. “Although I suppose I could accept something else....”

“Like what?” Cecilia asked, hopeful.

A predatory expression crossed the Chinese girl's face. “Well, I'll let you choose. You can either make an apology, a _proper_ apology, for interfering with my fight. Or....”

“Or...?”

“Or I can cut your hair off,” Rin concluded, pulling a set of scissors from a pocket. Working the blades open, the skinny teen ran a finger along the edge to test the sharpness. “That way we both win, right?”

“You want to cut off my hair?” Cecilia echoed, her eyes distant. One hand crossed her chest to wrap a curl around her finger. “Just how much of it?”

Emerald eyes flashed victorious. “Oh, it'll be shorter, but not very much. It should grow back out in a month.”

Cecilia glanced from the petite girl's face to the scissors in her hand. The light reflecting off the edge sealed her decision. “Very well, I've made my choice.” Rin grinned at the words as she leaned in to grab the first blond lock. “Lingyen Huang, I apologize for interrupting your match with that intruder. It was not my intention to embarrass you, but to help end the threat to the academy as quickly as possible.”

The Chinese teen's hand kept moving forward, seemingly of it's own accord. Cecilia tensed up as skinny fingers moved up to her face. “Now wait just a minute, Rin, I apologized like you asked for!”

Cecilia's protests died as the hand came to rest on her head. Patting the top of the Briton's head twice like an affectionate owner, Rin smirked once. “I'll be seeing you later,” she taunted as she turned to leave the room.

Watching the closing door provide a measure of privacy, Cecilia winced as her shoulders dropped. _Well, that was an intense moment,_ she thought, unsure if the other girl had really left. The moment of calm was broken as the door opened a second time. But instead of Rin, it revealed the Notohoke sisters: Honne looking sheepish as her older sister shepherded her into the room.

Carefully balancing a tray in one hand, the older teen turned and nudged the door shut with a foot. “We're back Cecilia,” Utsuho said with a smile. “Who was that other girl just now?”

Blinking to clear her stupor, the Briton focused on the question. “That was Lingyen Huang, from class two. She had some questions for me.”

Amber eyes narrowed behind their glasses for a moment, giving Cecilia a shiver from their scrutiny. Then the instant passed, and the older girl's smile widened. “Well, that's life in the student council. There's always someone who wants our time.” Setting the tray down in the middle of the table, the elder Notohoke set up the tea service with economical movements. “Now who wants some tea?”

A sleeve-covered hand snapped up in response to her sister's question. “I just wonder if Lingyen left any snacks behind?” Honne asked eagerly.

 


End file.
